Well done Dick, I missed this article but know you've made a great impression down there & I know are a respected member of the community.
Myself & Francie had many happy years in West Cork, and agree with all you say, especially about the local population.

However, the traditional music scene there 20 years ago was pretty poor... it must have been if a blow-in Geordie like me was able to make a living at the music for several years?
I noticed on my recent visits to your excellent festival in Ballydehob that the situation has improved a lot since then, and some of that is down to you & Cathy I'm quite sure.
Folk ask me why I left the area & I really think it was because we didn't want to live with so many non-Irish people in Ireland! So we moved to southern Spain & it was even more pronounced there- likewise in SW Scotland. We've now settled in an area of Ireland where there are few tourists, plenty of excellent music, and I really feel we are living in Ireland again, and Irish people are not an endangered
species.
Anyway, well done about your contribution to the interesting article & keep up the good work.