Agreed about hi-jack - but just to make things clear about the singers we recorded; in 1973 the Travellers had a living tradition which died a sudden death (18 months) with the advent of portable televisions.
The Clare singers had lost their audiences decades before and, apart from Tom Lenihan (70+ when we met him), sang a tiny handfull of his songs very occasionally at local functions; it turned out he had around 200 songs in all. The rest were singing for the first time in many, any years, some were not recognised as singers within their communities.
Apart from one song, Walter Pardon had never sung in public, but had nurtured and gradually re-built has family's repertoire, which is the one he sang when he was 'discovered' by the revival.
Across the board singing activity, all-in-all.   
Jim Carroll