12-07-2011, 06:32 PM
i think a lot of irish and scots folk songs are the same in that they inspire a cultural collective of us v them. songs and verse that are particular to a region yet are universally known. from my pub experiences the main criteria is that they be sung with as much loudness as possible when you get to the chorus. whiskey in the jar being a generic pub song. (not quite the same and man from snowy river). for the main many would say rubbish works but as was pointed out, they withstood the test of time and were infectious enough to cross borders and in doing so become a part of that heritage we call folk. jmo.