Dick - A lot of American country, old-timey, bluegrass, etc. is based on Irish and Scottish songs that came over with the settlers. It has been adapted down through the years, with modifications to lyrics and melodies to country music as we knew it 30 or 40 years ago. Today's country music singers are a bunch of failed rock & rollers who, when they couldn't make it in rock put on a black cowboy hat, torn jeans and T-shirt add succeeded in selling their pablum as country music.
Ireland and the rest of Britain in general are in a little time warp. American country was always popular because the songs as Stringsinger said told stories, but were also based on melodies that were familiar. Country and Irish is is own little hybrid of American Country and Irish songs. It touches something primal in the Irish psyche.
When it's well done, it's excellent, but like modern American Country, when it's badly done it's horrid.
There are a lot of Irish country musicians who could more than hold their own with the best that Nashville has to offer.
See you in a couple of weeks, Dick.