Whither the Ulster-English talk

Since the Good Friday or Belfast Agreement of 1998 a significant amount of energy has been expended in promoting awareness of an ‘Ulster-Scots’ cultural identity. Ulster Protestants, of course, largely trace their family roots here to the substantial inward migration of the seventeenth century, which drew upon Scotland, England and Wales. This presentation seeks to explore more fully the heritage and cultural identity of those who may deem themselves in the early twenty first century to be ‘Ulster-English’.

A primary question to be considered is why this ethnic identity remains so much less prominent in our collective consciousness today than either ‘Ulster-Scots’ or ‘Ulster-Irish’. Looking towards the future, it will be argued that much of the richness which characterises the province’s cultural life derives from the constant exchange and interplay between these three ethnic groups and the sense of ‘throughotherness’ which resulted.

Whither the Ulster-English takes place at 8pm in Ballymoney Town Hall. Admission is £2 and includes refreshments.

This is a Cultural Crossings event promoted by the Provost of the Coleraine Campus, University of Ulster, in partnership with Causeway Coast Arts.