Paddy explined the situation he found himself in at the time -
In those days Irish music was at an ebb and the media only selected those who they believed would sell to a general audience - things are very different now that traditional music has come into its own - they call the shots
Britain was exactly the same during the folk and jazz booms - groups, funny uniforms, singing pullovers, even restrictions on the length of song that could be sung
When flok ceased to sell, the media and music industry walked away - that's when the folk revival and the jazz clubs streamlined themselves and returned to what they wanted to play
Unfortunately there have always been those among us who confuse excellence with popularity and fame
Some people found the experimantal period with groups like Bothy Band and Steeleye attractive - never rang any of my bells
Jim