'The Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann at its branch in Belfast Square, Dublin, has an array of valuable books to teach someone to play fiddle, whistle, banjo etc.

It is true, however, that to play the music well, you have to be exposed to a good seisiun or master teachers. The notes will not hurt you.

The attitude that you can't learn from music notation is a kind of ignorant snobbery. '

I imagine you mean Belgrave Square in Monkstown, Comhaltas headquarters.

I believe a session will help you become at best a good session player, to really get the nuances (that will be lost in session), the company of good musicians is essential.

An experienced musician, experienced in the genre we're talking about, can learn tunes succesfully from notation. I think that's been pretty much established somewhere during the last 250 or so posts. A musician experienced and educated in any other genre will not do so successfully and will not learn the finer detail of the music from notes. That too has been established. Remind yourself of that before throwing the old 'ignorant snobbery' remarks about.