Well, it may not have been the apocalyptic annus mirabilis that the Y2K doomsayers promised, but the past 12 months have been pretty damn good in the traditional music world. Bedroom studio technology has finally infiltrated trad (long overdue and much welcomed by musicians and fans alike), the predictable purist/innovator debate is finally revealing its jaded colours, and the rake of disgustingly talented musicians jostling for space is ever growing, thriving even.
Memorable sessions were equally abundant throughout the year. Gerry O'Connor whooped
it up in the impeccable company of Kevin
Doherty in the Cobblestone, Dervish signed, sealed and delivered one of the most
spell-binding gigs in a career replete with
specials, and young pretenders such as Lia Luachra, Calico, Danz, Maebh O'Hare and
Eamon De Barra proved that trad excellence
and downright sex appeal are no longer mutually exclusive.
Add to that the lateral thinking that allowed Tim O'Brien to share a stage with everyone from Paul Brady to Maura O'Connell, and you've got a scene that's as vibrant and evolving as it is aged in vintage mountain ash.
At a time when musicians are complaining of a distinct lack of venues, traditional tunes could be heard seeping from the very walls of the finest and best locations throughout the country.
If there was ever a pall hanging over trad (and there was), then Y2K finally yanked it far enough away so that it could bask in its own limelight.
A mighty fine vintage, all the same.