I made my first visit to Ireland the last couple of weeks, and I had a hard time finding traditional Irish music. The pubs we went to had audiences that were mostly Irish, but the music was mostly Country and Euro-pop. After singing a hideous song called "Bakersfield," one band did "Black Velvet Band" and dedicated it to the Americans in the audience. I suppose there was a 25 percent mix of the sentimental Irish standards with the pop and country, but I didn't get to the good stuff until Martin Ryan led me in the right direction on my second-last day.
I was with a group of friends from church, and I'll admit that traveling with a group limits your flexibility and your ability to find music and conversation. I usually travel alone, so it was a nice change to go with friends this time.
-Joe Offer-