Tuesday 24 July 2007

Summer School, Ballyroney

On Tuesday 24th July, Noel and myself left the familiarity of Ballymoney and headed to the uncharted land of County Down in search of Ballyroney. It may only differ from our Hame Toon by one letter but there the similarity ends!

Noel navigated our way to Moira and, with the use of a handy AA map, we even made it to Katesbridge. After a phone call or two, we found Ballyroney and we were glad to make in aa in tha yin piece! The imposing Orange Hall by the side of the road was literally swarming with kids. When we asked how many were attending, Margaret told us there were over seventy as she calmly made us a cuppa!

Again we split the mass of kids into two groups and did our double-act. The younger kids were predictably excitable but equally well behaved and eager to learn more about their lugs, heid and thrapple! When tested, they proved to have been listening as they answered correctly and getting the pronunciation just right.

The older kids then had a turn and we explained the origins of the language, making it plain that the Plantation was the return of the lowland Scots who had been driven out of Ulster by the Celts. It was these people who brought the language to Ulster when they returned to their native lands thus dispelling the notion that we are in some way invaders and usurpers. Again, we had no difficulty in getting the attention of the class as each of them were keen to learn more about Ullans. The end of the lesson proved they had listened and taken in the vocabulary we brought to Ballyroney.

It was a pleasure for us to have visited Ballyroney and very encouraging to have seen first hand the demand and interest in Ulster Scots. My thanks to the helpers, leaders and children for a great day and, again, fair play to the Agency and big Ed for a tremendous effort in organising the school.

Monday 23 July 2007

Summer Schools in Newry and Cullybackey

I had the honour and privilege of attending an Ulster Scots Summer School today in the border town of Newry and it was tremendous to see the RJ Mitchell Memorial Orange Hall packed with local children eager to learn more about the culture we take for granted here in north Antrim.

The volume of children was such that it was only possible to speak to them about the language in two seperate groups. The first group consisted mainly of children under 8 years old and after an introduction to the basics of the language, we had a game of "Gary Says" which was all done in the Ullans language. For children who had never had any real experience of conversing in Ullans, it was amazing that they did so well and an indication of their willingness to learn.

The second group was over 8 yrs to early teens and there was no difference in the degree of interest shown. The kids really did everyone proud by listening very intentively and, when tested near the end of the lesson, I was very pleasantly surprised by the amount of vocabulary they retained in their memory.

The Newry group, in common with all other shcools I have visited, were attentive, well-behaved and well supervised. It was a pleasure to visit the Hall and meet the good fol of Newry who are determined that their children will not be force-fed Anglo-Irish propaganda, putting our language and culture in the shade.

My next stop was a richt bit nearder hame - Cullybackey. Running a bit late due to numerous roadworks and diversions (you'll all appreciate that we don't enjoy being re-routed!), I arrived at the local High School and was met by Andy McGregor who had the kids all ready and divided into manageable groups. Again, over 40 kids had gathered to learn more about their culture. And again, I was met with enthusiasm and genuine interest in a well staffed and well disciplined school. As I left Cullbackey I couldn't help but think that if a small village could organise an event such as this, then every other town and village should do likewise next year.

Again, I must pay tribute to the volunteers and children who have given up their time to run valuable projects such as this. Let's not forget Ed Hanna who has worked tirelessly to organise and co-ordinate the schools across Ulster. His work, though understated, cannot be under valued. The Ulster Scots movement owe Ed and the Ulster Scots Agency a huge debt of gratitude for all their work. Well done!

Thursday 19 July 2007

Summer School, Raphoe, Co Donegal

Today (Thursday 19th July), Noel and I set off from Ballymoney to Raphoe in Donegal to meet the kids and leaders there. The Raphoe Ulster Scots recently hosted a very successful Ulster Scots festival that attracted good crowds and plenty of positive press coverage.

On the way, we passed the partly built building where the Orange Hall once stood in Bready and couldn't help but admire the dedication of the Ulster Scots of the North West who have successfully secured £500,000 funding to put in place an already impressive looking building that will undoubtedly act as a catalyst for the Ulster Scots community in that part of rural Ulster.

We soon arrived at Raphoe and quickly found the Cathedral Hall where we were greeted by team leaders and a squad of over forty children who were quite obviously enjoying this, the first Ulster Scots Summer School in the town. Splitting the groups into two, according to age, Noel and I were pleasantly surprised to discover that quite a few children and leaders spoke Ullans instinctively. The kids were well-behaved and keen to learn so we did our best to teach them and the event was a success for all concerned.

I would like to pay tribute to the leaders in Raphoe for organising a well-ordered and event-packed school. Also, a word for the kids who were keen and quick to learn the Ullans language. A great day in Raphoe!

Sunday 15 July 2007

Lambegs in North Antrim

Bendooragh Orange Lodge
12th July 2007
Ballymoney Lambeg Drum Contest
14th July 2007



With the Twelfth over, the celebrations didn't die in north Antrim as the lambeg fraternity gave the public a demonstration in the art of competition drumming. On 14th July, a dozen lambegs descended on the village of Clough for the annual afternoon contest. Although the weathere turned bad, the contest got off to a good start as drummers from all over Ulster pitted their skills against each other in a bid to win the cup.


After the Clough contest, the drummers headed on into Ballymoney to the annual evening contest. Here the weather stayed dry and a good crowd gathered to watch the spectacle. Those who attended the Clough contest are grateful to the Spratt family for organising this annual event and the people of Ballymoney are grateful to Peter Robinson and his family for running things in the Toon.

The lambeg is an integral part of the Ulster Scots musical tradition and it was alive and well in north Antrim over the Twelfth with many lodges using them to lead them in Cloughmills and two drumming contests a few days later. The drums require a lot of skill and time in preparing them for playing and we should all be grateful to those who devote so much time and energy to promoting them in all parts of Ulster.



Wednesday 11 July 2007

Lambeg Drumming Match

Keen lambeg drum enthusiasts will not want to miss the annual Drumming Match being held this Saturday (14th July) in Ballymoney. The event is being hosted jointly by the County Antrim Drumming Association and Ballymoney District LOL 16 and will be held outside Ballymoney Orange Hall in Upper High Street, commencing at 8:00pm.

Each year, drummers from across the Province converge in Ballymoney for this event and this year should be no exception. The art of lambeg drumming is witnessing something of a revival but we should pay tribute to those who have kept the art alive down through the years with all the determination that is required to play this great symbol of the Ulster Scots musical tradition.

Tuesday 10 July 2007

Ulster Scots Evening, Bendooragh

On 10th July, the Ulster Scots community of Bendooragh enjoyed an evening of the best traditional crack that featured the cream of local talent. The Orange Hall played host to the event organised by Bendooragh & District Community Association with a mix of stories, songs, music and poetry. Led by Charlie Gillen, the stories and banter flowed and the hall rocked with laughter as Charlie got into his stride. Alan Wade entertained the crowd with periodic tunes on the pipes and everyone appreciated the songs and renditions from Noel Devenney. A similar event was held last year with the same acts but this year Charlie Reynolds was added to the billing and recieved the same enthusiastic applause as the others.

The evening of entertainment lasted a good two hours and no one saw the time pass. It did us all good to sit back and enjoy the crack and enjoy the rich Ulster Scots language, music and literary talent from our own area. The Community Association would like to thank the ambassadors of our culture for bringing such cheer to the village on such a dismal night and also everyone who supplied and served refreshments. We would exhort other groups throughout Ulster to organise similar events so the Ulster Scots culture can be enjoyed and promoted by everyone.

Sunday 8 July 2007

Summer Schools in the North West

I was on my travels again on Thursday 5th July when I did a whistle stop tour of Ulster Scots Summer Schools in the North West of the Province. I was met bright and early (the day that was, not me!) at New Buildings by James Kee who, after a hearty breakfast, took me to Ballylaw. I never heard of it before and it turned out to be a townland but that only illustrates further the interest in the Ulster Scots culture and the dedication of the good folk of the area when I was confronted with a spacious community hall packed with children. Dividing the kids into two groups and with the help and supervision of leaders, I gave two adresses on the language of the Ulster Scots. My only difficulty was speaking English between times in a bid to be understood!

After that, I stopped off at Bready where the local Presbyterian Hall was alive with various activities and children again eager to learn more about the language and culture of the Ulster Scots. The Ulster Scots community in Bready are a step ahead of most and have a huge new builing going up in the village dedicated to the various strands our culture.

I was then sent to Donnemanna where another hall full of keen children awaited me. The kids there were again being supervised by a determined and dedicated team of leaders who gave me every assistance as I introduced the language to everyone present.

My last call for the day was to New Buildings and what can I say? With over 100 kids enrolled in the summer school there and a team of the best leaders to keep order and keep the momentum going, it was a pleasure to play a small role in adding to their schedule by bringing the kids an introduction to Ullans. I did get some light-hearted banter when I forgot myself and shouted "Come on ower here across tha fleur aa o yez!"

It was a very enjoyable and fulfilling day and tribute should be paid to Edd Hanna, the Ulster Scots Agency, the regional organisers, leaders and the kids themselves for making the summer schools such a huge success in the West.

Wednesday 4 July 2007

Scarva Ulster Scots Summer School

Today I set off from Ballymoney, safe in Ulster Scots country, to the village of Scarva. These were uncharted waters for me as I never drove there from the North before. I was decidedly proud of myself when I made it to the picturesque village in one piece and was embarrassed to find that after a two-hour drive to my destination, I actually got lost in Scarva itself!! This is no easy task as the village is set along one street more or less yet I managed to get on the road to Banbridge before George Patton rang me to put me right and save me from getting totally flumoxed!

When I got to the church hall where the school was being held, the kids were out playing the ancient Ulster Scots game of fitba. I sipped a cup of coffee and looked out the window as a very heavy shower of rain came on. I noticed a line of kids running towards the hall and went into panic mode as I realised that every child in Scarva was coming my way! When they all got into the hall there was about 30 of them and only one of me so I was the definite underdog!

My worries were totally unfounded, though, as George and his team were in total control and well organised. He had a good squad of leaders who were enthusiastic about the project and very conscientous in their roles. I delivered my part history/part language spiel and the audience were very very keen and receptive. They are not indigeneous speakers of the language but clearly wanted to learn. They were able to name every part of the body in fluent Ulster Scots and could translate a healthy number of words and phrases from English into our language before we packed up for the day.

My thanks to George et al for a great day and a special thanks to Ed Hanna who has knocked himself out co-ordinating the schools across Ulster.

Bruce Festival, Stranocum

Last night, I braved the rain and winds (the typical Ulster summer!) and made for the village of Stranocum to see what was going on at the Robert The Bruce Festival where my good mate, Noel, was playing a central role. When I got there, I called in to Stranocum Orange Hall where I saw a very impressive display of memorabalia. Ancient minute books caught my eye instantly as these were hand-written accounts of men long dead, recording events in the village as they happened.

The display of banners old and new, coupled with every band uniform Stranocum ever had was like walking through history. I was encouraged to see such activity around the Hall as there was last night with plenty of people showing a keen interest in all that was going on.

Next I called into the portacabin by the brig and enjoyed an hour's crack as Noel introduced the indigeneous speakers to the written language of the Ulster Scots. Its a beautiful language that we should have been encouraged to learn down the years instead of being made to feel embarrassed about speaking it. Noel, myself and others are trying to convince people that we don't speak "bad English" - we speak GOOD ULSTER SCOTS!

The Festival in Stranocum continues on until the 11th July and it would be worth your while to call out and get a warm welcome from the guid fowk o Stranocum and enjoy the crack.

Tuesday 3 July 2007

Portglenone Summer School

I had the privilege of attending the first session of Portglenone Ulster Scots Summer School today (Tuesday 3rd July 2007). The school attracted 15 children from the village and, as I had been invited to speak to them about the Ulster Scots language, I was gye feared they micht naw sit still fer mae!!

As it turned out, the children were generally receptive though the opportunity to be less than attentive at times in the absence of their regular schoolteacher did tend to inspire the occasional bout of excited chatter. Still, dour Ulster Scot that I am, I continued regardless and ended my session with a recap of the words I had introduced. To my relief, almost the whole class recalled every word without difficulty.

Next up was William Wilkinson who introduced the kids to various aspects of the Ulster Scots history and culture. Again, the kids were receptive, punctuated by the odd bout of whispering and laughter! They certainly enjoyed the crack and enthusiastically answered all the questions put to them by William who concluded by setting a quiz that soon proved that the children had learned something new.

After a short break, Mark and Bobby from Conlig arrived with a lambeg drum, kettle drum and miniature lambeg as well as a selection of fifes and whistles. A history and description of the workings of the lambeg was duly delivered to a more captive audience and the subsequent quiz demonstrated that the kids had paid close attention to the speakers. The kids then got the chance to rattle out a roll or two on the lambeg and William and myself did likewise as Mark fifed. I was not offered a job as a drummer!

The archery session then followed but alas I had to leave before the arrows began flying but I spoke to William afterwards and no casualties were reported!

All in all it was a great day and a great idea. Its heartening to know that the uptake on the Summer Schools is up this year as the children certainly enjoyed learning all about their identity. My thanks to William, Angela, Betty and Harry for their invitation and their obvious commitment to the Ulster Scots culture.

Sunday 1 July 2007

Ulster's Slain Remembered


On 1st July 1916, over 20,000 Allied soldiers lost their lives in the most disastrous battle ever fought, the Battle of the Somme. The gross ineptitude of the armchair generals was in sharp contrast to the courage of those who died on that terrible day. The 36th Ulster Division suffered over 5ooo casualties on the first day of the Battle and the flower of Ulster was dealt an almost fatal blow.
Although all those who died were not Ulster Scots, a significant number were. It is fitting that a memorial service is held each year on the Sunday nearest 1st July in Dervock in the heart of Ulster Scots country. The wreath laying ceremony and service is organised annually by Derrykieghan LOL 995 and this year there was a huge turnout of Orange Brethren from throughout North Antrim. The picture above shows part of the wreath laying ceremony, prior to the church parade in St Colman's Parish Church.
At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.

Rev William Martin Remembered

On Friday 29th June past, a large crowd gathered at the Shanaghy and Vow Road junction to mark the 250th anniversary of the ordination of Rev William Martin. Rev Martin was the first Covenanter (Reformed Presbyterian) clergyman to be ordained anywhere in Ireland and this was not the only significant mark he made in history.

William Martin was born near Ballykelly but finished his education in Dumfries, Scotland. On 2nd July 1757, he was ordained a Covenanter minister in an open air service held at The Vow, between Ballymoney and Kilrea. As the only Covenanter minister in Antrim and Down, the two counties became his parish, so to speak, and Rev Martin, though resident at Kellswater, had supervisory responsibility for Covenanter groups at Ballymoney, Dervock, Cloughmills, Leighmore and Cullybackey.

Rev William Martin was no shrinking violet. On top of his mammoth preaching and pastoral duties, he was vocal in his opposition to the High Church (Anglican) authorities who openly discriminated against those whom Martin represented. The oppressed Presbyterians were subjected to excessive rent demands and when payment could not be found to cover them, the tenants were evicted. After much prayerful deliberation, Rev Martin recieved a call to Rocky Creek, a small settlement in South Carolina.

In 1772, around a thousand Covenanters and others, including Roman Catholics, left Ulster under the leadership of Rev Martin. It took 5 ships to ferry the emigrates to the New Country, namely the James and Mary, Lord Dunluce, Pennsylvania Farmer, The Hopewell and The Freemason. Most of those on board the ships came from Ballymoney, Kilraughts, Derrykeighan, Ballyrashane, The Vow and Kellswater. It was a tremendous feat at that time to lead so many people so far in such vessels yet this only goes to illustrate the determination of Rev William Martin.

Although, due to the excessive numbers involved, the large group was scattered throughout the New Country, the majority settled in and around Rocky Creek. In 1774, Rev Martin's congregation opened their own meetinghouse and he began a prosperous ministry. When the War of Independence broke out, he supported the Patriots (Americans) against the British and openly urged others to do so too! James Anderson was but one Ballymoney native to heed the call and die at the hands of the British in that war. Rev Martin had his meetinghouse burned down in 1780 and was himself imprisoned for his patriotism.

The service at The Vow on 29th June was well attended and a plaque in memory of this great Covenanter who made such a difference in the Ulster Scots heartland was erected at the old Vow graveyard. The addresses were given by Rev Robert Hanna and Rev John Hawthorne. It was a fitting tribute to a great yet humble man and the Covenanters should be commended for marking the life of Rev William Martin in this manner.

The plaque can be viewed at any time at the old Vow graveyard.