Hi,

Paul is quite right, the various Irish 'clan' paraphenaelia is indeed a marketing ploy directed primarily at those Americans of Irish descent who have the means to indulge their 'heritage'. IMHO, there exists two Irish cultures: that of those in Ireland and that of the Irish-Americans. That latter culture has been influenced largely by the difficulties of assimilation resulting from the Famine Exodus of the 1800's, that portrayed in the movies a la Bing Crosby, et al, and lastly, the handed down family legends perhaps somewhat embellished over the generations.

Bob