Interesting email from an Irish fellow about Irish kilts.

[Casper]

Well, at least he remained polite... he is, for the most part, correct though. Irish nationals despise the 'Plastic Paddy' attitude in the US (hence why the world's largest St. Pat's festival is in NYC).

The only way I can claim to have an Irish heritage and still wear a kilt is that my family is from Northern Ireland (as is the gentleman who wrote that letter), and are of Ulster-Scots descent. Even taking THAT into account, kilts still aren't that common as most of the Scots that came over during the Ulster Plantation were from the lowlands, and therefore were more like to consider themselves British than kilt-wearing highlanders. That being said, the Ulster-Scots population in NI still have highland festivals with games, highland dancing, pipe bands, etc.

[Paul]

Well, at least he remained polite... he is, for the most part, correct though. Irish nationals despise the 'Plastic Paddy' attitude in the US (hence why the world's largest St. Pat's festival is in NYC).

The only way I can claim to have an Irish heritage and still wear a kilt is that my family is from Northern Ireland (as is the gentleman who wrote that letter), and are of Ulster-Scots descent. Even taking THAT into account, kilts still aren't that common as most of the Scots that came over during the Ulster Plantation were from the lowlands, and therefore were more like to consider themselves British than kilt-wearing highlanders. That being said, the Ulster-Scots population in NI still have highland festivals with games, highland dancing, pipe bands, etc.

I doubt that many of them knew what "British" even meant as this was in 1600 - before the Union of Paliaments

[PGH]

I doubt that many of them knew what "British" even meant as this was in 1600 - before the Union of Paliaments

I agree with your sentiment, but as a bit of trivia the term "Great Britain" was coined by King James VI/I around 1604 after the crowns were united.

[Paul]

I agree with your sentiment, but as a bit of trivia the term "Great Britain" was coined by King James VI/I around 1604 after the crowns were united.

True. But very few people in all of Scotland, England and Wales considered themselves British - as the term was never really used widely until the Scottish parliament was defunct.
The main reason for the plantations was religion... not nationality.