Raggytash. You are lucky that the scene where you are is thriving. The relatively recent revision to the breathalyser limits has caused a lot of grief for rural pubs. Between 2007 and 2012 10% of irish pubs closed, since then a further 1300. That is a lot of venues wiped out, especially in the SW.
There seems to be a lot of nitpicking around here. I think I pretty clearly defined what I thought folk music was, as opposed to the purist's definition. I am not asking anyone to believe or disbelieve me, but if you accept the rigid defintion of 1954 then folk music is no longer being created - you are merely worrying a corpse.
My view is that the 1954 defintion is too rigid and defines a world that no longer exists. Therefore it is no longer fit for purpose.
To argue about the broader definition of folk when trapped in the confines of the 1954 defintion seems rather silly to me. The argument will constantly be at cross purposed and progress zilch.
Maybe I am overlooking something but it seems a pretty simple proposition to me. If you accept the 1954 definition then folk as a living medium is dead. Accepta wider definition and the genre is alive and kicking. I do not see scope for any middle ground.