I understand that, but there is a vast difference in old trad. style folk songs and more modern works already recorded, whose nationality is already known in databases..

I am talking in general terms. 'Field recordings' of the 50's and 60's were being archived by the likes of the School of Scottish studies, that was fine for that era.   But surely we are in an age where you don't just take a recorder out and archive everything without looking into where stuff came from - and then claim it is from your culture because its sung by a local? Being a collected tape field recording gives a kudos and a mystique that it is somehow a hidden gem.

If there are copyright disputes (I am not referring to an individual song), caused by the interpretation of a song's inclusion as being an Old Irish song, even if it isn't Irish or completely old - who is responsible?

Also as I said before, there are cultural courses at high levels, with people studying 'Trad. music' - so it sets potential traps in their research.   Academic ethics should surely mean that if you know a song has a definite point of origin, you shouldn't really create confusion by muddying the waters.

I certainly am more than happy with the singing of 'Dark Island', I just think that it could have been helpful to put in 'this song is Scottish, but well known in Ireland'.   Or as I said before is it because of the singer that you are (effectively) making it Irish?