"back in the 50s when Electric Guitars arrived in Ireland one could often hear a Showband playing reels and jigs on them, in fact these guys perfected the practice long long before Mr Mc Manus was hatched.

I would take serious issue with the choice of the verb "perfected " .

My main beef with the guitar in Irish music is the constant brain numbing STRUMSTRUMSTRUM STRUMSTRUMSTRUM STRUMSTRUMSTRUM STRUMSTRUMSTRUM STRUMSTRUMSTRUM STRUMSTRUMSTRUM STRUMSTRUMSTRUM STRUMSTRUMSTRUM STRUMSTRUMSTRUM STRUMSTRUMSTRUM STRUMSTRUMSTRUM STRUMSTRUMSTRUM STRUMSTRUMSTRUM STRUMSTRUMSTRUM

I mean, have these guitar players never heard of fingerpicking? One would have thought that harpers would have influenced guitarists, but it seems that is not so.

One of the more unpleasant evenings I have ever endured was spent listening to the sublime fiddle of Martin Hayes being totally trashed by the crass chord thumping of Denis Cahill.

Talk about the Emperor's new clothes ...

Murray