black watch question

[highlandtide]

Irish National tartan is great too.

But why does an American kid care so much about the IRA? (I dont mean kid in a derogatory way but you probably are the youngest person on the board)

[Jimmy Carbomb]

But why does an American kid care so much about the IRA?

I can speak in two terms for the answer for this question (for me personally).

1).My family were all Irish Volunteers, with one being hung in the streets of Armagh for "harboring" the enemy in 1916. He gave shelter to three Catholic families in the Church, and was made an example of.

2).I am GOOD friends with many in the AOH, Noraid and Sinn Fein. I would HATE to see any of them marching around in the BlackWatch!

YES... it's a BEAUTIFUL tartan, and one that CAN be worn by anyone... especially in the USA, where the knowledge of the Irish past is sketchy at best. For those with a strict Republican conscience, it's considered an insult.

[Celt]

But why does an American kid care so much about the IRA?

I suppose for the same reason an American kid would care enough about the freedom of a foreign people to go to Iraq and die....because he or she thought it the right thing to do.

[shillelaghbruises]

I care about the IRA because I'm proud of my Irish Catholic heritage (and my Scottish heritage), and I believe that Ulster should be a part of the Irish Republic, I'm just an opinionated person in general anyway.

[David in Maryland]

I could be wrong about this because I can not find the website I read it from. From what I read, the Black Watch was involved in "policing" Ireland and were ordered to kill people on certain occassions. Sorry, this is all I can remember.

[John in Texas]

If I remember my history correctly, the only military defeat of the "Ladies from Hell" was at the hands of the Americans in the Battle of New Orleans, which actually took place a day or so after the end of the war. Talk about bad timing(Doh!).

I have to agree with the others who posted here, I dont think it would be a good tartan to wear around in Ire.

John

[Robbie]

I hardly think this is the correct forum to get into the rights/wrongs of who did what to whom in Ireland (or anywhere else, for that matter). You know the old saying "One person's freedom fighter is another person's terrorist" (or is it vice-versa?).

Anyway, regardless of anyone's personal opinions, it is a simple fact that Southern Ireland (Eire) has in the interests of peace in that troubled island officially given up any claim to Northern Ireland, which forms part of the United Kingdom and will remain so until the people who live there (and only them) decide otherwise by a simple majority in a ballot - it's known as democracy!!

[bubba]

Anyway, regardless of anyone's personal opinions, it is a simple fact that Southern Ireland (Eire) has in the interests of peace in that troubled island officially given up any claim to Northern Ireland, which forms part of the United Kingdom and will remain so until the people who live there (and only them) decide otherwise by a simple majority in a ballot - it's known as democracy!![/quote]

More important, I wish the killing and hate would end. Regardless of the politics too many innocent people have died.

[Celt]

A thing is not made right or wrong according to how many people believe it, or vote for it. None of us would want to live under a Democracy...otherwise known as "mob rule".

[shillelaghbruises]

I know no one here has said this is the case, but I just want to say now that the "troubles", aka the war, aren't about religion.