Some of the later bands were definitely very talented, that cannot be denied. But ask yourself why? In the early showband days, there was no almost no music on Radio Eireann apart from the sponsored programmes.  TV was in it's infancy in Ireland, Telefis Eireann did  not cater for young people at all and it was very difficult to get BBC or UTV.  All that was available was the local ballroom and whatever band turned up, good, bad or indifferent,  got the local crowd regardless.  In Dublin there was more choice, so more competition between bands. 
As things improved for the audiences and music was available from more sources, interest in the showbands declined: because the music from those other sources was better!
To say that bands didn't get booked again if they were no good was not strictly true: remember a small number of managers handled the major bands, and they used the successful bands to leverage their bookings for their new proteges.  Ballroom managers were told: "You can have band ABC next month if you take band XYZ the following week."
Much is made in other discussions on this site of the highly talented and successful musicians who cut their teeth in showbands (Rory Gallagher and Van The Man, for example), as if this is proof that showbands were good; however, the converse is true - they could not get away quick enough from the showband scene and play real music with real musicians.
I stand over my premise that a serious lack of talent did contribute to the demise of the showband scene.

[quote author=liamo /Carry on Luap and make your points. But you're wrong. D'ya know why??? Because I'm right and the two of us can't be /quote]

Liamo, I've seem your comments on the Bob Geldof thread (the administrator should merge these two threads) and this is typical of how you respond to people who make sensible points.  Luap has made some important points and all you can do is sneer.

Earlier, another contributor wrote:
"we shouldn't be blinded by nostalgia because for every good showband there were a dozen pretty dire ones, but then I guess it didn't really matter because the main reason we attended a dance was to get a woman or a man , the music was a very poor second.  "
Another goes  "It was every country girls dream to attended a dance and meet prince charming (a wealthy farmer hopefully) and live happily ever after."

Makes sense to me...I remember the inside of a few dance halls but I wasn't there for the ceili or bad elvis impersonators or country&sh1t3 that was rolling from the bandstand...

[quote author=liamo[27]Dear God Whistle, I'm delig.... [/quote]

recognition finally for my deity status....!

No intention to offend liamo, and I haven't had time to read all of your many posts. I'll be more careful in future (new year's resolution, perhaps)

true to form, attack the man not the topic

A small addition to the above post.

Whistle, I don't know how you construe that I "attacked the man". No way, I attacked what the man said!!!!!

As regards "Typical" and "True to Form"++++

There's a difference between us. Unlike you I wouldn't even try to hazard a guess as to what's "Typical" or "True to Form" for you. I don't know you , have never met you  and wouldn.t assume to have the knowledge to judge you or anyone else, on the basis of a few forum posts.
I definitely wouldn't be offensive or insulting to anyone on such flimsy knowledge.

How fortunate we are to be honoured by yet another expert visiting.

"How fortunate we are to be honoured by yet another expert visiting" posted by liamo
Visiting? sorry, mate, I'm a member just like you - or is this your exclusive club?

have to agree with Luap about Jools Holland, fantastic musician, fantastic band. And how  do they get such a tremenduous sound with so many acts all on a live show?  RTE can't even get one band playing on the Late Late to sound good!
Not a bad idea about getting a bunch of young whipper-snappers together to form a new showband, maybe the time is ripe again?  Good music will always find an audience.
I too heard that story about U2 and CBS, and was it CBS who also turned down the Beatles all those years before that?