It's 3pm and the top attraction in this pub is not hurling on the TV but Beth Orton. On stage she is still very much a little girl lost. But when she starts to sing Orton is transformed. Her eyes flash wide and she's very impressive, even if her voice is a touch croaky. Standouts include She Cries Your Name and Concrete Sky. Orton had requested no photos or taping and it was refreshing to watch a gig without mobiles. For me, she could have gone further and turned off the PA and sang unaccompanied. Some of her new material would have suited such an approach. especially 'Red Door'. Not so much nu-folk as just folk and none the worse for that.In the end it's the quality of her writing that that marks Orton out. She's an expert in textures, creating atmospheres out of her guitar playing, odd vocal whoops and whispered asides. It was a rare treat on a day of rare events. Dublin had beat Kilkenny. The crowd leaving the gig through the bar looked happier than those watching the TV.