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Did anyone else watch the BBC4 programmes over the weekend on Irish folk music?

OK, so I know it's my bag more than most on here, but it was just superb. Even the embarrassing bits, like seeing a semi-comatose, nodding-dog-like, drooling Shane McGowan 'singing' in an Irish bar, were totally compelling, if only to confirm your existing suspicions.

The bits with Ronnie Drew and Luke Kelly, members of the Dubliners, were hugely enjoyable, and the way the programme was put together, weaving the evolution of modern Irish folk music with The Troubles, and with the explosion of the Irish economy, quite fascinating. It was a glimpse into some netherworld, with bizarre characters making amazing sounds.

I saw the Dubliners at Huddersfield Town Hall in around 1994. It was a turning point. I must write about it sometime. Something atavistic was going on. Something got to me. But anyway. Luke Kelly died in 1984, so sadly, I never got to see him.

Watch this brief snippet of the programme for a flavour. It lasts less than 4 minutes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_99gvsSJNQ&mode=related&search=

Incredible voices, extraordinary characters.

Yes I stumbled upon it. Quite a bizarre selection of black & white 1960's clips of people in false looking beards, groaning out some Oirish ditty next to tables creaking under the weight of half-drunk pints of Guinness.

Weird, wonderful stuff. And as a direct result of that program, I have vowed to find out more about Damien Dempsey. A guy I've never heard of but part (it seems) of a new wave of young Dublin folky-type singers.

He does a great version of Ace of Spades, apparently.

But yes, there were a few people I thought I should explore a bit more.

Fortunately there's quite a bit of stuff on the BBC website at http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/folkhibernia/ to remind me who's who.

If you like this sort of thing, the Celtic Connections link on that page has some good stuff too.