Ulster Scots – Slugger O'Toole

Act Now? Celtic languages in Ireland and the UK…

Soapbox on October 12, 2022, 7:57 am | Readers 5368

Love to Learn | Instagram: @timmossholder

Now mostly retired, Terry McClatchey has worked in health and social care services across various locations in Ireland and Britain. Many words have been traded on the topic of an Irish Language Act for Northern Ireland but they mostly generate more heat than light. I want to propose that the debate could be greatly helped by moving away from the binary rhetoric of “Act Now” versus “Never, never, never…” and working towards reaching an agreement on a fair and sustainable …

Despite the problems it faces Ulster-Scots endures…

Soapbox on August 3, 2022, 2:26 pm | Readers 4144

man in black jacket standing beside body of water during sunset

Thoughts on Ulster-Scots Certain things come with the territory if you publicly admit to an interest in Ulster-Scots. It’s likely that people nearby will suddenly become linguistic experts, with strong opinions on what is a “proper language” and what isn’t. You may be told that Ulster-Scots is a recent invention, possibly concocted by Unionists in the 1990s. You might be expected to laugh at a recycled joke about a Ballymena accent, or talking like a farmer. You might have to …

Grass Roots Unionist culture – lacking the voices it needs…

Philip Orr on January 30, 2021, 9:54 am | Readers 6185

When I was working on a community history project in Mid-Antrim several years ago, I engaged with bonfire committees across the district. They were in receipt of a grant from the local council to help make their Eleventh Night festivities family-friendly and to enable participants to be more aware of the traditions they sought to uphold. As part of my work, I referred to the (possible) origins of bonfires in 17th century celebrations to greet the victory of William of …

Arlene’s Valentines Day Massacre

Daithi McKay on February 14, 2018, 10:01 pm | Readers 11464

Today could not have turned out any bigger a mess for the incumbent DUP Leader and would-be First Minister. If sources are to be believed the Fermanagh MLA was ready to sign off on a deal which would have seen 3 Bills introduced : An Irish Language Bill An Ulster Scots Bill A Joint Respect Bill What has happened since the weekend to put the Stormont train off the rails? A DUP Group meeting on Monday morning, 3 days of …

Now we see who’s ‘red (white and blue) lines’ are holding up the show!

Concubhar on February 13, 2018, 5:24 pm | Readers 5344

It’s becoming increasingly clear that unionist political parties and politicians have set their opposition to an Irish Language Act and, by extension, any form of an Irish identity within ‘British’ NI as a priority ‘red line’ ahead of returning to powersharing or, even, at the most fundamental level aspiring to an equal Union between NI and the rest of the UK. The rhetoric today from Arlene Foster in which she set out what she would not countenance in response to …

Take Back Control – of our Ulster-Scots histories

Claire Mitchell on November 25, 2017, 8:00 am | Readers 9574

A friend of mine was sacked from the civil service for saying that Ulster-Scots was a made up language. Unfortunately he said it in the newspaper. But lots of us have said it in private, right? LOLed at the dafties whilst railing against the DUP. Or for unionists, awkwardly pushed it forward as a political issue. I’ve been thinking recently about how radical the Scottish legacy in Northern Ireland is. And how uncomfortably this sits beside our understandings of Ulster-Scots …

Ulster Scots now being ‘weaponised’

Concubhar on August 25, 2017, 11:16 am | Readers 2631

I’ve been following with interest the coverage of the Ulster Scots Agency’s funding plan since the story was first brought to light earlier this week in the Belfast Newsletter – and subsequently refried by other outlets. It was clear from the outset where the story was going as the Ulster Scots Agency CEO used a duplicitious figure ascribed to funding the Irish language, which had been used in a DUP press release – as the basis for the funding he …

Ulster Scots, Ulster Irish, Irish Scots, Ulster Gaelic, Gaeilge Uladh

Concubhar on July 20, 2017, 8:36 am | Readers 3075

As Summer rolls on and disputes rumble regarding the possibility (or not) of the enactment of an Irish Language Act – or a Languages Act – or a Culture(s) Act, we seem to be stuck in a labyrinth of ever decreasing circles or some Byzantine entrapment from which there is no escape. As Christy Moore once sang: For all of our languages we can’t communicate. As an Irish speaker I’m conflicted about Ulster Scots. It’s clearly a dialect of English …

The drive for independence suspected in new boost for Scots language. Sounds familiar?

Brian Walker on August 26, 2015, 12:47 pm | Readers 705

The Financial Times (£ paywall) which is so good at making its limited space for non-financial themes count, reports a new boost for the Scots language which the writer Mure Dickie suspects is part of the longer term drive for independence. In language policy, the parallels as well as contrasts with both Irish and Ulster Scots hardly need much spelling out. But I hope you will – enjoy, is that the word? – the distortions of what we think of as …

Blue Plaque unveiled in Aghadowey

Turgon on July 29, 2014, 10:23 pm | Readers 980

Yesterday the Ulster History Circle unveiled a Blue Plaque at Aghadowey Presbyterian Church in honour of Rev. James McGregor. Aghadowey Presbyterian Church was founded in 1655 making it one of the oldest congregations west of the Bann. It also has amongst the largest Presbyterian church buildings in County Londonderry. Rev. James McGregor was a veteran of the siege of Derry where he is purported by some to have been the first to see the relieving ships. He became minister of …

Time for Lord Laird to retire

Brian Walker on December 21, 2013, 2:04 pm | Readers 256

Discretion and tact have never been John Laird’s close friends. Good judgment has been a positive stranger. Some of his causes like Ulster Scots were accompanied by a fair amount of indulgence, as all the world knew. John was not part of the temperance wing of Unionism. Reviewing his artlessly revealing autobiography I described him as Ulster Unionism’s jester, a word less open to misunderstanding than clown or fool. I stand by that. Jesters or clowns are exaggerated performers who …

Two new minority language community radio stations on either side of the Bann

Mick Fealty on June 10, 2013, 2:23 pm | Readers 102

OFCOM has announced five new community radio licenses today, of which one will be going Irish Gaelic and the other Ullans… In its application, fUSe FM said it will “reflect the traditions, language and culture of Ulster Scots in Ballymoney and surrounding areas”. Raidió G said in its application that it “will serve the Irish language community, and those with an interest in Irish language and culture within the broader English-speaking community, in the Greater Maghera Area in south County …

Snap, Craickle and Pop: The Controversy of Popular Gaelicisation

Of This Island on May 2, 2012, 10:11 am | Readers 389

Ever since Ireland was told that the black stuff might not be Irish, but rather a porter stout from Covent Garden, the country has descended into a frantic state of uncertain soul-searching and impassioned reflection to clarify once and for all what is actually ‘Irish’ (potatoes, Gaelic Storm, and Saint Patrick aside). But now the most quintessentially ‘Irish’ institution of them all is under intense academic scrutiny, the much celebrated notion of ‘the craic’ (and that’s before considering the …

A poem for (yester) day – Affshore

Martin Mooney on August 9, 2011, 10:00 am | Readers 24

In the early 90s I was living in Portmuck, Co Antrim, with a small child who thought the beach was where you lived, rain or shine, day or night. A gas pipeline was being laid between the Ayrshire and Antrim coasts, and the ‘supergun‘ scandal was in the news. Then the same news told us that all up the coast old phosporous bombs were washing ashore, and igniting in contact with the air. It turned out they were the refuse …

The feast of Columbanus accompanied by speeches from Lord Bannside & the Irish President

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on November 24, 2010, 8:00 am | Readers 107

Irish President Mary McAleese with artist Ian Fleming

If you listened to Thought for the Day on Radio Ulster yesterday, you’d have been aware that Tuesday was the Feast of Saint Columbanus. The speaker described him as “a bit of a stirrer”. Which set the tone for the lunchtime celebration of Columbanus organised by the Ullans Academy in an East Belfast hotel and featuring speeches from academy president Dr Ian Adamson, Lord Bannside and the Irish President. As far as I can tell, the Ullans Academy is very …