Well, a year later, with thanks to all your constructive comments, we went ahead with the event at the Arigna Mining Experience last June with plenty of local music but no local songs- except some written by that amazing Ed Pickford man from Sunderland.
You can see it on youtube under John McKenna Festival at Arigna or something like that.
It was a highly enjoyable event with inputfrom Janet Weatherstone, Andy Redican and Charlie McGettigan and if anyone has found any Irish mining songs in the past year we're doing it again next Sunday 11 June at 3pm so come & sing it for us!