What is being discussed here is on the one hand a mythology and on the other a distant historical past, one of which may or may not help explain the other.
There are so many theories about the Tuatha de Danaan (there's no 's' on the end btw), the Firbolgs, and so on, and few can be discredited or proven.
Egyptologists have a wealth of archaelogical material and ancient written records with which to make sense of the past, but those who are exploring the roots of Celtic culture don't have the same tools. There are even some scholars who now claim there was no such thing as the Celts!
I think that Tolkien was influenced by Irish myths, but not excessively. I think there were other things that influenced him more. Judging by the languages he invented - he loved Finnish on which I think Quenya was based, but there is little evidence of Irish linguistic influence.
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Out went the candle, and we were left darkling
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