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Croisbhealach an Cheoil (the Crossroads Conference) was the first ever conference called to debate the issues of 'tradition' and 'change' in the world of Irish traditional music. It was held at the Temple Bar Music Centre, Dublin over the weekend of 19­21 April, 1996, initiated by Cormac Breathnach and Fintan Vallely, and was planned and organised from the beginning by a committee which also included Liz Doherty, Hammy Hamilton and Eithne Vallely. Each of the organisers was outside of traditional music's established organisational structures, all were musicians. The two major organisations of Traditional music - Na Píobairí Uilleann and Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann (CCÉ) chose not to participate, the remarkable success of the event in such circumstances strongly indicating how independent and self-sustaining the music had become in forty five years of revival. The conference received the official patronage of Irish President Mary Robinson, and was supported by An Comhairle Ealaíon/The Arts Council; Arts Council of Northern Ireland; The Irish Music Rights Organisation; Music Departments in University College Dublin, National University of Ireland, Maynooth, University College Cork; School of Music, Trinity College Dublin; Irish World Music Centre at University of Limerick; Queen's University Belfast, Dept. of Ethnomusicology; The British Council.

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