Quote Originally Posted by kingandrew View Post
Damion,

I agree with what you are saying. And although the language was a defining element for many in the past, it seems less emphasized today. After all, most Scots or Irish people don't speak Gaelic as a mother tongue, but this does not change their identification with a Celtic cultural heritage. As a Scottish-American, I certainly don't speak Gaelic, either.
Most Scots and Irish don't speak Gaelic which is why those countries are not Celtic (though they are home to Celtic cultures), particularly Scotland which has strong competing Germanic cultural elements. The language is less emphasized now because of the large number who don't speak it but feel an attachment.
Romantic feelings don't overcome pragmatic realities. People can pretend to be something but without all the necessary cultural cues they're just pretending. The reality is that without a community of Celtic speakers there are no Celts as materially and even culturally there is little difference between people living in English speaking countries. Things like religion and lifestyle have bigger impacts on cultural expression than ancestral ties.