Protestant Rejection of Traditional Music in Northern Ireland : Jigging at the Crossroads

Looks at the present day booming Traditional Irish music scene and notes that while there is enthusiastic participation of Northern Ireland Catholics, Protestants have largely absented themselves.

The author argues that not only are Protestants in general indifferent to the explosion of this music's Irish 'new-culture' life in the expanding EC, but many Loyalists, at the cutting edge of Britishness in Northern Ireland, perceive the music as being actively hostile to Union with Britain, implicitly Republican.

The process of acceleration of Catholic interest in the music and of Protestant rejection of it, is also looked at during the rise of Civil Rights politics and 'the troubles' since 1966.

Contrary to many contemporary opinions, the author does not see any unique, society-healing power in this music, instead holding that the music only reflects what goes on in the outside political world.