Tich Richardson (referred to earlier) based his style largely on that of the Shetland guitarist Peerie Willie Johnson, who was in turn heavily influenced by jazz and swing players such as Django Reinhardt. Johnson started out on the ukelele!

The guitar was quite popular in genteel English and Scottish music in the 18th century, and (particularly in Scotland) songbooks including what we now think of as traditional material were issued with guitar accompaniments. I have no idea if the instrument was similarly popular in Ireland at that time, but at all events it is America that we have to thank for its introduction to the traditional music revival on this side of the Atlantic.