d) Less fringe musicians, for example The Bedford now only seems to have a session in one bar, a few years ago it was min of two sometimes three.
I saw a serious session in the back room of the Bedford. Not sure if it was totally open to all, but there was a second.

These fringe things are at the whim of folkies, there are episodic. They are fringe. They are folkie for heaven's sake.

The fringe and the festival are symbiotic. As a ticket holder I avail myself of the free sessions. It is all part of the craic. But it has to be said, that without the festival the fringe would roll on in diminishing intensity until it fizzled-out, whereas the festival would not. It would be impoverished and smaller but would continue IMNSHO.