I am very much aware of the commingling of Scottish and Irish customs and heritage. But it seems to me that in recent years you see more and more use of Scottish kilts and pipes during Irish events. This past Sunday I visited the "Ireland's Great Hunger Museum" (Músaem An Ghorta Mhóir) here in Connecticut. It was very moving and well worth a visit.
It was coincidentally St. Padraig's day and they advertised that they would have some special "Irish" entertainment. Well it turned out to be a very fine piper, fully kilted and playing Scottish bagpipes. He played perhaps 2-3 Irish tunes, but the bulk of his repetoire was Scottish tunes.
Here in Connecticut we have a very fine non-profit the Shamrock Traditional Irish Music Society which literally has hundreds of very fine Irish musicians. When I asked quite politely why they were featuring what was, for all intents and purposes, a Scottish entertainer and not, say, an Irish fiddler, harp, etc. They looked at me as if I had two heads and didn't really respond.
But I see more and more of a crossover at a number of Irish events and more people who see me in my kilt ask if I'm Irish?