Are “Scotch” Eggs Technically Irish?

Still not sure.  But when our local Irish pub advertised its St. Patty’s Day offerings and Scotch Eggs were on the menu, this was convincing enough for me to try a vegetarian version for my annual Irish meal in honor of my husband’s (and children’s) ancestry.  I’ve only ever seen Scotch Eggs in cooking shows and was positively giddy while I was cooking and realized that a meat-free alternative was not only possible, but absolutely delicious!  I used the kind of faux sausage product that you can mold (e.g., Lightlife “Gimme Lean”) and basically followed the simple recipe in the Joy of Cooking.  Also on the menu was colcannon, Irish soda bread, and, of course, the adults washed it all down with Beamish Irish Stout.