Austin/Keith Clan help answer this?

[Austinclan]

My dad was told that he is Irish, yet the genealogy leads to Scottish decent. Everything I have researched indicates Scottish with his name sake, so could my dad have been lead to believe he was Irish when in fact he is Scottish? You see his father left when he was an infant and my dad is only going on memory from his mom as a young child. So how can one decifer what he is when no proff has been passed down? Please help!

[lizziesgirl]

Wondering if you have any information on this caln and if James MacGregor Keith is on your family tree. He was my great grandfather and married to Sarah Jane Bovil.

[Polwarth]

Hello Austinclan

It is quite possible to be Irish and have a Scottish name. Some names are common in both countries, eg Kennedy.

The Scottish 'plantation' was when Scots families went as immigrants to Ireland by invitation of the King.

Then of course there was also the aftermath of the Jacobite rebellion(s) when more settled there.

Many Scots lived in Ireland for 2 or 3 or more generations and then emigrated to wherever.... Canada, US, Australia, New Zealand.

So, you see, your Dad could be quite correct in his assertions!

What you have to do is trace back from your generation to the first immigrant to wherever you live. THEN you can try to trace back to Ireland - and from there back to Scotland (if indeed the family was originally from here!)

Good luck with your research

[scotsmancd]

It is quite possible that you can be Scotch/Irish like Polwarth said. I am Scotch/Irish. It appears in both origins. However, my last name has a stronger Scottish connection and influence, other than Irish.

I recognize my Irish heritage, but associate more with the Scottish side. In tartans, I wear the Scottish tartan 99.9% of the time, unless it's St.Patrick's Day, when I wear an Irish tartan. It's good to recognize both sides of heritage.

In my last name in the old days, when the man and woman married, they took part of the mother's name, and part of the father's name, and combined them to give it the full last name.

That way they could recognize both the Irish and Scottish influence in their child.

I hope this helps

Scotsmancd

[Polwarth]

Although 'Scotch' was used as a term to describe a person from Scotland - this is not used nowadays.

We are Scots or we are Scottish. 'Scotch' is what Americans call our whisky - and we call some of our foods, ie Scotch Eggs, Scotch Beef or even Hopscotch...!

[Mamie]

Then there is the little matter of the formation of Dalriada in what is now Scotland from an emigration of people from Ireland.

Some of the other Celtic peoples of the United Kingdom probably moved in from Mainland Europe at one time. The Norse owned and controlled Northeastern Scotland and the Islands.

What matters now is we are all "Scottish". And certainly after the "45 Scots left Scotland for many places. I have found some people with my particular last name in Belgium.