Dick,

sorry for delay replying but have been making a shelter for our sheep... wild winds here this weekend....

   You are quite right that I'm out of touch with your local scene these days, and I think I said that. I almost mentioned Mary & Richard as a 1980s exception but they were in Bantry, 20 miles away as I remember, and I meant Mizen musicians.
Take the Floor were good pals of mine with a similarly eclectic repertoire, but like me, hardly CCE material-, as for Paddy Barry- you must be joking! he was a chancer and a crap player- a few of those about. Jamesy Kingston had been a good fiddler, but sadly declined by then...

I am NOT concerned with the nationality of players of Irish music, although I do incline to the 'can white men sing the blues' camp. My point was that 90pc of the trad (in your terms) music in BDH was played by the English & Europeans in the population - maybe it still is? that was a point meant to be in FAVOUR of the UK folk scene- many locals were amazed at knowledge of Irish music & quality playing of these incomers!

Rosie's was the ONLY pub in Schull/Ballydehob & west with a weekly session, run by Jane & Andy- I got there in 1985, a little earlier than you, I think & that is how it was- very disappointing really!
I've already given my view of the future for the music & Ireland has a head start there, and I'm delighted if the scene now is as good as you say- maybe you deserve credit for that?? but don't tell me that Ballydehob was a lost world of music in the 1980s- it was anything but!
Charlie Coughlan & his automatic keyboard was the local musical hero- nice chap but I once saw him set it to 3/4 time & go & get a pint while the 'music' continued!!
Now let's get back to 2020- not much of a prospect really, but we do need to think about the future & not the past...treat this a historical and objective snapshot of 1980s Ireland maybe?
ps give my best wishes to Liam & Ger- also --who was that ghastly female uillean piper who played in Kilcrohane in the 90s?