Unfortunately defining the term Scots-Irish is far from straight forward and indeed it has been the subject of controversy probably ever since the phrase was first used.

My own personal view is that the term should be associated with those people who are descended from Scottish settlers in Ireland and in particular those who formed the mainstay of the Ulster plantation of the early 17th Century.

Others have suggested that the term arose for political reasons in America during the 19th Century. The reason being that middle class american businessmen and politicians wanted to distinguish themselves from the huge numbers of generally very poor Irish immigrants of that time.

History also records the term being used by students from Ireland training for the Presbyterian Ministry in Scottish Universities etc.

Regardless of the variety of instances where the term has arisen, it is reasonable to use it as a means of identifying a distinct people who have left their mark wherever they have travelled.

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