The Dubliners and Identity Performance

The Dubliners were an ever-shifting group of Irish musicians initially assembled in 1962, who covered folk songs often dealing in Irish identity but just as frequently borrowed from traditional songs across the English-speaking world. Their work tended to eschew an overt political stance, in the fashion of many other folk revival acts of their time, focusing instead on the aesthetic qualities of their genre.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwM8pCAynbM

This rendition of Oro se do bhetha bhaile, though unusual in lyrical content, is typical of the groups’ style. The focus is on the instrumental accompaniment (the group is the only one I discuss here which includes instrumental versions of their songs on albums) and their treatment of the song is best described as playful, speeding up to showcase ability.