When speaking of emotion, feeling, I was thinking of Airs, the part of our repertoire that is not dance music.
When speaking of 'Hollow' music, I talk of technically competent music that is still missing a certain something. A depth and fullness. Its not easily quantified or explained, but its obvious when its there, and obvious when its not.

Airs are different. I can put all the emotion and feeling I want into an air and it will still suck. Playing them well is a skill in and of itself that I'm in no way qualified to say anything about since I'm a lousy air player.

I don't know what "certain something" you mean. If you mean finding a sort of depth of expression and fluidity in the tune, that doesn't come from stripping a tune down and playing the "bare bones" of it, but rather from years of experience playing and listening to Irish music.

What makes you so sure? This thread started by mentioning a fabulous player who does exactly that, he basically plays the tune, the bare bones. He certainly has years of experience at playing trad and perhaps exemplifies the 'less is more' philosophy I aspire towards..

Oh, if only! From one SS to another SS, well, you know what you should do now to keep the blood pressure down...