Ulster English is the English-based dialect of most people in Ulster, including those in the two main cities. It represents a cross-over area between Ulster Scots and Hiberno-English. The dialect is currently encroaching on the Ulster Scots area, especially in the Belfast commuter belt, and may eventually consume it. Ulster Scots, also known as Ullans, Hiberno-Scots, or Scots-Irish, refers to the variety of Scots spoken in parts of Ulster.
Ulster Irish is the dialect of the Irish language spoken in Ulster. The only county in Ulster to include Gaeltacht regions today is County Donegal, so that the term Donegal Irish is often used synonymously. Because of historical connections with Ulster, the southern dialects of Scottish Gaelic and Manx share similarities with Ulster Irish.
In 2023/2024, the Ulster-Scots Community Network received funding from the Ulster-Scots Agency and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland (£408,000 and £33,800 respectively) and expended £300,000 on staff costs and salaries.[11]
The most famous and widely-known whiskey from the province of Ulster is Bushmills
A famous ice cream made in Ulster is Morelli's, which is made near Portrush. Mullin's Icecream, made near Kilrea in the east of County Londonderry, is another famous Ulster icecream. In the south east of the province, Newry boasts 'Timoney's' ice cream on Canal Street, Warrenpoint has the famed 'Genoa' and Rathfriland on the hill is fortunate to host Graham's.
A well-known sweet made in Ulster is Yellow Man (also known as "Yella Man"), while a famous confectionery company is Oatfield Sweets Ltd., who were previously based in Letterkenny in County Donegal. Oatfield, who were founded in 1927, were particularly famous[13] for producing the Emerald sweet.[14]
Music
Song
Ulster Irish or Donegal Irish is exclusive to Ulster. Ulster Irish is very different, as is the old style of prose and songwriting.[15] Whereas in other parts of Ireland songs tend to be structured, in Ulster songs are wider ranging in style.[16] Counties Donegal and Antrim are well known for songs of speed, much like Donegal fiddle playing. It is unique in the sean-nós traditional in both tempo and in wording and is often more free in structure and ornamentation.[17]
Notable Ulster singers and songwriters by historical area*:
The Ulster-Scots Folk Orchestra was formed in 2000 by Willie Drennan and John Trotter.[21][22] Unlike a formal classical orchestra, it operates as a loosely coordinated network of multi-instrumentalists. They have performed at various places and festivals including Kentucky and at the Emory Symposium at Emory University in Atlanta.[23]
Lambeg drum
The Lambeg is a massive, double-headed bass drum, typically 3 feet in diameter and 2 feet deep.[24] It is unique to Ulster and is primarily associated with the Orange Order and the Ancient Order of Hibernians, though it is most famous for its use in July parades.[25][26] The shell is made of oak, and the heads are made of goat skin.[27] It is one of the loudest instruments in the world.[28] The drum's usually have unique artwork, depicting Ulster-Scots and unionist culture, as well as Christian scriptures.[29]
The Lambeg drum is featured in Kate Bush'sRunning Up That Hill, when the singer purchased one from a workshop in Sandy Row, Belfast.[30] She was on a stroll in the neighbourhood in the 1980's when she went in to make the request with the shop owner and drum-maker William Hewitt.[31][32]
In September 2021, as part of the Northern Ireland Centenary celebrations, a landmark event titled 'The High Sheriff’s Centenary Echoes of the Lambeg' was held at Stormont Estate.[33] The gathering featured over 130 Lambeg drums, making it the largest recorded meeting of the instruments in history.[34][35]
Fife
The Fife tends to go hand-in-hand with the Lambeg as the "fife and drum" tradition is a direct descendant of 17th and 18th-century military music. The melodies played on the fife are often referred to as "drumming tunes." It is a staple of Ulster-Scots musical traditions.[36]
Ulster fiddle
Ulster fiddle playing is distinct from the rest of Ireland in that it has been greatly influenced from neighbouring Scotland, in particular the Hebrides.[37]
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
