Quote Originally Posted by DireStraitsFan View Post
Todd-

You bring up another excellent question that I have always wondered at. Police and fire departments are traditional occupations for Irish immigrants. That's why I've always wondered how scottish pipes and drums bands (dressed in highland regalia) became associated (iconic even) of police, fire, and military funerals and other events. Clearly those departments have strong associations with Irish immigrants, so why the Scottish identity? Were those early Irish firemen and policemen of mixed Scots-Irish descent?

This is why I grew up thinking that kilts were Irish.
A lot of it, I believe, is due to the adoption of traditional Highland attire by Irish Nationalists and the Irish Regiments of the British Army (and odd pairing, to be sure!) at the beginning of the 20th century.

T.