so why not practise/perform/ENTERTAIN WITH our own

But who are are own? As well as not feeling specially "English", I've no musical links back to any traditional playing or singing and I see no reason to feel or think the people I go out to play Irish music with are any less "our own" than I might a group of English players.

If anything, for me, I'd say they feel more "my own" as that is the music for whatever reasons along the line and in our individual "musical journeys" I think most of us who go have found that bit more special.