Kilted in Ireland? Any Irish X-Markers?

[O'Callaghan]

I just returned form Belfast a few weeks ago, and I can tell you that a kilt IS a political statement in the North. Unless you are prepared to support a side, personally I would not suggest a kilt. Rural Northern Ireland would be a bit safer, but there are parts in the North, even after all of the peace they have enjoyed, that I would not feel comfortable in with a kilt on.

I'm not surprised. My guess is that a green kilt would label you as republican and a saffron one (incorrectly) as unionist, just because it's not far off the colour orange, and that almost any tartan would be taken as unionist unless they recognise it as being republican (they might recognise Irish National, at a pinch), and then you're no better off. As you say, if you're prepared to declare an allegiance that's one thing, but best not to, I reckon.

There again, I'd only have to open my mouth and I could be in trouble, when they hear my English accent, at least with the republicans. Ahh, but I'm a Callaghan from the South on my mother's side, but better not tell that to the unionists. Better for me to stay entirely out of Northern Ireland altogether. In fact I'm scared to ever set foot there, to be brutally frank. I have the misfortune to have been born on both sides of their conflict. EDIT - in their terms I am 'mixed' race, even though I'm entirely caucasian!

OTOH, having an English accent was never a problem in the South. Mind you, there was one time a bartender ignored me, but I thought it was my long hair. I suppose it might have been my English accent. Either way, he wasn't the only person behind the bar, and I got served by someone else.

PS: I hope the mods don't think this is too political, but it's really just about safety.