@Hootenanny,
The point I am trying to make is that is that MaCcoll may have been very busy in the background(I believe his first disc was 1950)but he was only known to a restricted audience. As I said those artists that obtained the airtime popularized the genre and various artists had programs giving them exposure to a wide audience. I just gave a couple of examples to illustrate my point, I made no claim that it was exhaustive. Everyone knew of Julie Felix and Robin Hall and Jimmy Magregor in the mid 60's. They were TV stars. No one is going to persuade me that all the same demograhic had heard of Ewan MaCcoll I would argue that the respective record sales confirm this.Rather like Alex Campbell - a huge body of work but limited sales.Arguably Campbell contributed equally to the revival. By the mid seventies he would have been more widely known, but primarily as a songwriter, not a performer, with many covers of his songs being released.
In 1964, Bob Dylan appeared on the tonight programme and sang With God on Our Side. Dylan was more popular than MaCcoll at this time. To this MaCcoll reputedly said Bob Dylan's songs are“10th-rate drivel,” fit only for “a completely noncritical audience.”
This may have been valid criticism within the Critics group, but an audience exists to be entertained not hectored!
The White Heather Club also gave exposure to folk. The genre was very healthy before the formation of the critics club and the examples given illustrate TV exposure to folk was widespread long before the formation of the critics. That is why I argue MaCcoll did not initiate the folk resurgence. To accuse me of rewriting history is not supported by the facts. MaCcoll may justifiably sit on a pedestal for his contributions to Britsh Folk music but to give him the accolade of being the initiator of the folk revival is simply incorrect.
Seven drunken nights was released by the Dubliners in 1967. I restricted myself to examples predating or coinciding with the formation of the critics.

05.04.1967 SEVEN DRUNKEN NIGHTS THE DUBLINERS
Reached no 7 in the charts. Remained in the charts forn17 weeks