Todd-- didn't think for a moment that you were "downing" Irish tartans. My point was that because there isn't any central (or local for that matter) "tartan authority" in Ireland that there was no way an Irish tartan could be "official".

Frankly, the real situation is that nobody in Ireland really cares about kilts or tartans, and some (and this includes a few of the Irish Chiefs) are positively "anti" the whole kilt/tartan thing. My attitude is that wearing Irish tartan to proclaim your heritage is a whole lot less offensive than the culturally embarrassing Paddy Whackery you see most of the Irish diaspora trotting around in on St. Patrick's Day.

I don't know... call me a fuddy duddy if you will, but I'd much rather see someone in a kilt than dressed up like the Leprechaun on a box of Lucky Charms.