In time for St. Patrick's Day comes this well chosen compilation, culled from the rich mine of Irish music staked out over the decades by the Folkways label. Most of the recordings were made in the 1950s and '60s (with a few of more recent dates); they cover a representative gamut of Irish music from spry-footed fiddle tunes to archaic a cappella and uilleann pipe numbers. Many of the performers were obscure in life and death, some gained acclaim during the '60s folk revival and a few, like Patrick Clancy (of Clancy Brothers fame), became ambassadors of Irish culture.
