Silver versus cloth buttons

[davidlpope]

Would it be appropriate to replace the round harp themed metal buttons of a dress Brian Boru jacket (called a Holyrood by St Kilda) with the square metal buttons more typically seen on a scottish Argyll or PC, or would that be mixing the two heritages in an incongrous way?

Without trying to be controversial here, the "Brian Boru/ Holyrood" is simply a Scottish Prince Charlie Coatee that has been modified in minor ways as a marketing strategy for those who want to wear "Irish" kilts. Since this jacket doesn't have any historical pedigree to begin with (indeed, the whole phenomenon of Irish kilt-wearing, itself, seems to me to be a "manufactured" tradition of the twentieth-century Irish Nationalist movement), there's really no "heritage"-mixing to worry about. Wear whatever buttons tickle your fancy.

To the best of my knowledge (still looking) I do not have any Irish blood relations to warrant the irish connection of the BB jacket but like its cut as an option to the standard PC and dressier than the Argyll, but would rather maintain the square button scottish themed appearence.

I don't see this as an issue. Even native Irishmen don't really have a "connection" to the "BB" jacket. If you like the regular diamond buttons, replace them. It's really just a modified Scottish jacket in the first place!

David