Hi Tom

My paternal grandfather's family were from Galway too. I'm three-quarters Irish, a quarter Shetland Scots, and eighth Norwegian, with a smidgin of Welsh thrown in - not a drop of English blood in me (except what I drank last night).<g>

BTW, are YOU telling ME about the "Scotch" thing, or is it for lurker benefit. I mentioned it as it is a common US mistake: "Oh are you a mickDahnald? I'm scatch too!"

>Terry;
>
>Now to aggravate others with historic facts. The Scots and Welsh are members of the Irish tribes. It is considered derogatory to call a Scot “Scotch”, like the drink.

>
>A storm sent the Spanish Armada to the shores of Cork, Ireland, and today more than 400 years later, the descendants of these men are known as “Black Irish”.

Ahem! This is like me telling you about the outcome of Gettysburg! We THRIVE on the Armada. But it was only during the 4th centenary celeb's that we got to hear all the "true" stories, like the butchery of the Spanish shipwrecked on the Irish coast, and the fact that Spanish logistics (such as cannon balls not fitting their cannons) let them down just as much as our plucky sailors and smaller fighting ships.

>It is interesting that historians trace the origins of the Celtic tribes to Galicia, Spain. Even today in Galicia, folk music may use a bagpipe – the same type used in Ireland. The bagpipe used by the Scots is much more developed.

Funny you should mention Spanish bagpipes; I've just finished reading a book called "Spanish Steps" by a Tim Moore, who did the Pilgrim Trail (Camino) to Santiago (Spain) with a donkey. He talked about passing through Galicia and the bagpipes.
Incidentally, they're also very big with the Bretons (another great celtic race) and feature predominantly in their folk music and dance, and huge parades of massed pipe bands (eerie and hauntingly beautiful to listen to).

>
>As for me I have an English name and I am Irish, Scot, English and Polish. You may never know everything about someone’s ancestry by his/her last name.

BTW You are "Scottish" or "a Scot" - not just "scot". They're all oat-eating savages up there anyway! :-)

Terry