Nerd: I dont think we are really disagreeing. I am disputing whether a very narrow group of people(Sotcs Irish...people who went from Scotland to ireland, and then to the Appalachians) where the dominant or "base ethnicity" of a whole region. I absolutely reject this. If anybody seriously supports this view, lets see the evidence. Of course they represent an element in the mix. And of course I take your point that a placename doesnt prove anything on its own. Neither does a surname. (I doubt if Amadee Ardoin grandfather came fom France, for example, given that he was black). But a lot of placenames taaken to gether, and a lot of surnames likewise. I am very ready for you to call the whole of the Brtitish Isles Celtic in this context, if you like. What I am querying is the thoughtless, often repeated but never argued, statement that Appalchian music's roots lie in Celtic(as in Irish,Scottish and Welsh) as opposed to English culture. I am saying it comes from a mix. And we should not neglect the English contribution. This contribution is more or less totally neglected on loads of intenet sites, TV shows, videos about bluegrass, sleevenotes, magazine articles etc.
    I think Cumberland music could be the defintive music that exemplifies the origins of American oldtime and bluegrass. From the northwest of England, close to Scotland and Wales, with a name that means "land of the Celts". And such a good placename connection with the Cumberland gap. The best recorded source of Cumbrian tunes, I would say, is the CD "A Trip to the Lakes" by the Boat Band. The guitar playing is particulalrly fine, though the violin and accordion are more immediately striking.