I've just started poking through a somewhat-related MA thesis; it might be a bit more, or less, than you're looking for: Pendlebury, Celia (2015) Jigs, Reels and Hornpipes: A History of "Traditional" D.

In a nutshell, her thesis seems to be that a lot of people have uttered a lot of nonsense over the years, so just play the music and have fun with it. (That's her saying that, not me - I'll continue to have fun uttering lots of nonsense).