Don, I don't recall anyone EVER saying that the Irish invented the pipes, but we do claim to have given them to the Scots.

I have many friends who are AFM members as pipers. I don't list myself that way, even though I play the Uilleann pipes, as I don't consider myself good enough to claim to be a pro.

As to pipes at a session, one thing that is important for others to remember about certain pipes is that they were not really an ensemble instrument. As time has gone on, there has been a bit more standardization but many of them, especially the UP's, are very touchy and cannot always be brought to concert tuning. If a piper has been invited to a session, often the tunable instruments will have to tune to the pipes.

I might bring my pipes to a session, but I would never try and use them beyond a tune or two, unless asked to. This really boils down to mutual courtesy and respect. Boorish behaviour, whether from a piper or a singer who horns in every other song, is bad form.

All the best,

Mick