The idea of time passing was an undercurrent on a night when he received a standing ovation from many in the crowd after reminding us once again of the special qualities of the masters of his generation in Irish folk music.

Yes, they're all getting older like the rest of us, so catch them while there's still time. Irvine sang of the pub where it all began, starting with the line "It was August 1962/ When I first set foot in O'Donoughue's" - that's almost a half century away now.

But the years have been kind to Irvine, who's now 66, despite his confession - a propos a song about a lost week's drinking in Norway - that he can resist anything except temptation. He's still pretty sure-fingered on his trademark bouzoukis, although he did have to don the glasses to see the dots at one point, and the voice has that distinctive range.

It's also a sure sign of a good gig when time slips by unnoticed, and it was quite amazing to find after the second encore - an unaccompanied tribute to Tommy Makem - it was already midnight. Along the way we had constant reminders of Irvine's songwriting skill and imagination in arrangement on both bouzouki and harmonica. A superb version of the narrative poem 'The Highwayman' closed the first half, and classics like 'Ye Rambling Boys of Pleasure' and 'Arthur McBride' were peppered throughout the set, as well as the odd odd Balkan rhythm.

He also used the occasion to deliver little-heard traditional songs from the likes of Pomeroy and Moneymore.

Irvine remains a gentle and down-to-earth personality, for all the glory of his years with Sweeney's Men, Planxty, Patrick Street and Mozaik, still a workers' man singing paens to Irish union organisers in the US and Australia.

He got a generally attentive and warm audience for another memorable gig in Derry, and hopefully we'll see him back again sooner rather than later.