...a gathering of Irish traditional musicians for the purpose of celebrating their common interest in the music by playing it together in a relaxed, informal setting, while in the process generally beefing up the mystical cultural mantra that hums along uninterruptedly beneath all manifestations of Irishness worldwide.Before the 1940s, Irish traditional music (both in Ireland and the diaspora) was typically played in private homes and farmyards and occasionally at dance halls.
In Ireland, the UK, and Canada most public houses ("pubs") and taverns were not legally allowed to host music in the early 20th Century.
[3] In the post-war era, social dancing developed in new trends based on jazz and later rock and roll, which displaced traditional music from dance halls (a similar trend happened to Central European "polka music" in North America).
At times a song will be sung or a slow air played by a single musician between sets.
When a particularly large musical event "takes over" an entire village, spontaneous sessions may erupt on the street corners.