Tartan-wearing conventions among Scots

[gilmore]

Clever marketing ploy or not, the Scots can be proud that so many people around the world WANT to be Scottish. Off-hand, I can't think of another culture that so many others have wanted to be identified with - to the point that they will "assume" one of their ancestors with a possible Scottish name was in fact a Scot,...

I am afraid that in this contest the Irish have the Scots beat, at least in the US. Polls show that many more Americans identify as being of Irish descent that is statistically possible.

[Jock Scot]

I am afraid that in this contest the Irish have the Scots beat, at least in the US. Polls show that many more Americans identify as being of Irish descent that is statistically possible.

Is that so?Gosh what a laugh!

[gilmore]

Is that so?Gosh what a laugh!

Yes, the Irish have a reputation here of being colorful and interesting party animals, and St Patrick's day parades are very festive events in many cities. Here in Atlanta on that day you see African Americans wearing "Kiss Me, I'm Irish" buttons and T shirts.

[O'Callaghan]

Yes, the Irish have a reputation here of being colorful and interesting party animals, and St Patrick's day parades are very festive events in many cities. Here in Atlanta on that day you see African Americans wearing "Kiss Me, I'm Irish" buttons and T shirts.

There are black people in Ireland. My favourite black Irishman was Phil Lynott, the lead singer of Thin Lizzy, RIP. His mother is white, though, and has outlived him. The name of the band was a pun, as pronounced with an Irish accent it become T'in Lizzie, i.e. a Model T Ford. The rest of the band were white. There aren't truly very many black people there, after all.

He used to tell a story that once while in New York for a gig he met a couple of cops in a bar, or a doughnut shop or somewhere, who told him they were 'Irish', really only meaning Irish American, and asked him where he was from, completely failing to pick up on the Dublin accent, and he answered that they wouldn't believe him if he told them!

The first St. Patrick's Day parade was held in Boston, Massachusetts, not anywhere in the auld sod atall.

[Sir William]

I am afraid that in this contest the Irish have the Scots beat, at least in the US. Polls show that many more Americans identify as being of Irish descent that is statistically possible.

Like Jock, I'm a wee bit surprised at that. I will grant that on St Patrick's Day EVERYONE is Irish, and that we don't quite see the same turnout on St Andrew's Day.