The role of the traditional arts in this country has been extraordinarily important, particularly at times when things were not going as well as they are now and when our sense of ourselves and our culture faced a potential threat. I do not refer to the 19th century, but to times in the 20th century when emigration was an horrendously significant feature of many communities. Our culture of traditional arts helped to maintain the bonds of communities in Ireland and abroad. When Irish people are abroad, they are brought together by singing songs and performing the music of the past and the present. The traditional arts, as defined by Senator Ó Murchú, play a hugely important role in retaining and maintaining a sense of cohesion, a sense of ourselves and a sense of our culture.