Hi There:
I just ordered a book called “The Essential Guide to Irish Flute and Tin Whistle” by Grey Larsen. Has anybody used this book? What do you think? I was at a tin whistle class last weekend, and saw it there. It looks good.
Porridge Face
It is supposed to be great, I just received my own copy two days ago…
Can’t give a review yet, because I haven’t even had a chance to crack it open yet.. awwww heck, hold on a second, lemmie go get it.
OK… first off, it’s BIG… 480 pages, 8.75"x11.75"
Two (2) audio/CD-ROM discs in the back in plastic sleeves…
B&W pictures and illustrations…
Over 150 pages discussing ornamentaion (which is one reason I wanted to purchase it)
49 Exercises for ornamentaion 
Lots of music…
Overall, it seems very detailed and extensive, which is exactly what I wanted. 
This book is perhaps best used when you have a little bit of standard notation reading under your belt but its chocked full of interesting insight and goes quite a way to explain and break down the articulations that tend to give folks a lot of trouble at first.
It should keep you busy for a few years.
Highly recommended.
Now… understand that Irish Trad is primarily an aural tradition or at least folks are trying to keep it that way.
Do your best to just listen to as much Trad music as you can. From as many different players as you can.
Grey has an interesting style but he’s kinda got his own sound going on there.
It’s one thing to get tunes from a book or listen to some exercises but you won’t “get it” until you spend some time absorbing it live.
Find a local session and just ask to sit by.
Do it a regularly as possible.
You don’t need to play so don’t freak out.
I think most folks would be happy that you are an interested beginner.
Everyone was a beginner once, right?
Bring a recording device and record the tunes played there.
Go home and learn whatever you can by ear.
The ear is a “muscle”.
The more you do it the better and faster you will get in picking up tunes.
Most often you’ll find tunes tunes written out on internet sites like “The session” won’t be exactly as you hear being play out in the wild.
Often enough there are variations even to the standard settings so learning what is being played locally is really the way to go.
I hope that is of some help.
Have fun!
Perhaps some here could suggest some music/players/CDs to listen to.
I don’t want to over step my sig. 
The book is the bible for flute and whistle, as far as I’m concerned. I’ve done three summer workshops with the author, Grey Larsen, and had him overnight at my house after a performance a year ago. He’s as good as his book and is gracious (and forgiving) as well! Highly recommended!!!
Pat
Great news! I’m looking forward to its arrival in the mail.
I’ve been working on applying standard notation to the whistle, and it’s coming along. I can read music (piano & guitar), but I just had to figure out how to correlate the whistle holes with the notation :>)