Ulster Scots speakers are found in all parts of Ulster but the main concentrations are in the Counties Down, Antrim, north and west Londonderry, north and west Tyrone and spilling across the border into east Donegal in the Republic of Ireland. The latest census does not include a question on the Ulster-Scots language, but from studies that were done in the 1960s it was estimated that there were 200,000 native speakers with 20,000 to 60,000 monoglot speakers and the rest bilingual.

The hostility experienced by the Ulster-Scots linguistic and cultural community and the ongoing disparagement of the Ulster-Scots language are clearly breaches of both Governments own laws and regulations.

FOLLOWING QUOTES ARE FROM from "Long Time coming" 1999, Ulster Newsletter in Aug 2001 and an Irish News of Nov 2000)

"as part of the British governments policy of trying to turn Ulstermen into English men over the last 200 years, and the Irish governments apparent wiliness to see the Scotch Irish man irradiated from Ulster its a miracle that he has survived"

"After the rising in 1798 by these Presbyterians, the British had to crush this lowland Scots culture and heritage, if not they would lose Ulster. These uncompromising men could rebel again at anytime so a cunning plan was conceived. 200 years later that plan is still being executed and Ulster Scots/Scotch Irish culture and History is still being oppressed. The plan has indeed worked so well that many Protestants even today frown at the very mention of things like the United Irishmen, the term Scotch Irish and the very suggestion that he may not be 100% British in ancestry. For any of these reading, the United Irishmen when they fought at Antrim in 1798 were 95% Presbyterians and the term Scotch Irish is a very proud term solely designed to disassociate ones self from the Catholic Irish, so anyone referring to themselves as being Scotch Irish is making a very clear statement "I am defiantly not Irish"

Estimates are that the majority of Protestants in Ulster are from lowland Scots ancestry but just try telling some of them that there NATIONALITY should be very proudly be Ulster Scot or Scotch Irish.

Simply put "200 years of forced British education on a people has been more than successful, and some have lost all touch with there true roots and ancestry. Its not really the Ulstermans fault, he's hasn't been taught anything else, he was taught and still is what the British wanted him to be taught, unlike the Irish, English, French, Germans, Japanese, Africans, Australian's in fact everybody else who teach the patriotism, history, heritage and culture of there people in total. Don't get me wrong he is taught history but a history in which his people ancestry, culture and heritage is totally excluded"

Its important, really important, give a man a History, a culture and a heritage and he's unstoppable, he is full of pride and will fight to the death for his country, people and religion. Now you see why the British had to take all these things of the Lowland Scot whom they planted in Ulster, if they didn't turn him into a British citizen then they lost Ulster, just as they lost America to the same blood who refused to be held hostage under the tyrants boots either monetarily or religiously.

The poor Ulsterman of today is one of the few peoples left in the world who is still being denied his very right to history, existence and freedom, its unbelievable that this type of ethnic obliteration is happening in a civilized European country in the year 2002, ethnic obliteration not just committed by an Irish Pan Nationalist front but also by the British government who arrogantly ignore the laws set out in the European CONVENTION FOR THE PROTECTION OF NATIONAL MINORITIES.

The Ulster-Scots linguistic and cultural community has lost its own identity, language, history and culture, or rather it has been taken from them. Possession of a sense of identity, a language, history and culture are the very essence of an ethnic community how can a people survive when this has been totally irradiated?

No-one would be allowed to subject the local Chinese or Indian communities to the level of abuse, vituperation and ethnic obliteration to which the Ulster- Scots community is exposed. There is no reason why Ulster Scots should be expected to put up with abuse which other ethnic communities are not expected to tolerate and they will not. Some people are foolish enough to deny the existence of an Ulster Scots community and even the Scotch Irish. The reality is, whether some people like it or not, that 800,000 Ulster Scots are in Northern Ireland and millions of Scotch Irish are spread around the world, 200 years of oppression has not worked. This blood will have a history, a culture and a heritage."

Here are the fact's concerning the Ulster Scots language, for details of what the children of Ulster are taught visit this page

The UK or Irish government does not grant any official legal status to Ulster-Scots language yet Britain does the Irish language (funding Irish written signs ect).

Public services: It is not used in any of the public services in Britain or Rep of Ireland. Some government departments have accepted correspondence in Ulster-Scots but have always replied in English.

Ulster-Scots is not accepted as a language subject in secondary education and is excluded from the curriculum.

The universities also exclude it.

None of the teacher-training colleges provide for the teaching of Ulster-Scots or its history.

In primary education, young children who use Ulster-Scots speech are subject to correction causing terrible embarrassment, this has to be cultural ethnic cleansing at its worst.

Their language is not acknowledged by the Irish and is treated as a low status rural dialect or bad English by the British.

It is the language of the Pub, street, playground and the home but not the classroom.

There is no funding of any type from the education budget for Ulster-Scots.

Ulster-Scots has no access to regional television or radio.

None of the regional newspapers carry an Ulster-Scots language column.

Up until 1993 Ulster-Scots received no public funding. Since then small amounts from the Community Relations budget have been made available for one-off projects. The Arts Council of Northern Ireland has supported the publication of new writing in Ulster-Scots since 1996. In 1997 two books were published. The Arts Council grant for 1998-99 was £11,000 and this resulted in the publication of some books in the language. Total public funding however has never exceeded £20,000 in any one year and in an average year is less than £10,000. To put this into perspective against one important aspect of Irish culture, in 1999 the National British lottery awarded £9.7million to the GAA, and further £500,000 was awarded from Castle Buildings. The Irish government also contributed a staggering£160,000,000

Look to Scotland or indeed the Rep of Ireland, where the Scots and Irish language is taught in secondary schools and in universities, for trained teachers and language professionals. Its interesting to note here that the British fund the teaching of Irish in Ulster, again this has to be cultural ethnic cleansing at its worst.

There are no full time paid posts for either teaching, research or promoting the language. All work is carried out by unpaid volunteers.

Many would like to pretend that Ulster Scots is dying if not already dead, many more still would like to pretend that it never existed, but from my own experience it is still very much alive and spoken daily in much of Ulster. It was on a visit in 2000 when I heard Ulster Scots words being used in every day language, and it wasn't just by the old folk, I heard it used by children in a playing filed, needless to say I returned the next day for a longer examination of the Ulster Scots language as being used by children in 2001.

I was am still am amazed at how many Ulster Scots words these kids where using, bare in mind also that this was in Mid Ulster many miles from where the last of the speakers are supposed to be living. Here are some of the comments and words I heard used by these Ulster kids while observing them for just 2 hours. To deny it exists is to deny history.

Don't be taken to him, he hasn't a gleed

Don't talk to him, he has no sense

That ole fields all clarry

That field is really mucky

That bits only for weans

That place is only for children

She's a gype

She's a fool

There's some reek of that fag, ( a fag being a cigarette )

There is an awful smell of that cigarette.

Houl yir whist! ( this was an adult )

Please be quiet!

All those boys are eejits

All those boys are fools

Hes making a hash of the game.

Hes making a mess of the game.

Do you wanna a Skite

Do you want a slap or thump

Naw its mine, so it is

No that's mine

Give us a wheen of them Im raven

Give me some of those I am hungry

Watch he's cloden stones

Watch out he's throwing stones

Here are some Ulster Scots words, even as an Ulster man you will be surprised as to just how many you use. Problem is you are mostly unaware because you were never taught.

Ullans --------- Ulster-Scotch English -------- Inglis Examples

A

Adae= (wi) to do (with); about "Adae wi thon girden"

Ay= yes; I see; oh well "Ay it's gye waarm" - "Ay"

Aye= always; constantly "Hc's aye up tae sumthen"

B

Blethcr= to talk nonsense; someone who talks nonsense "Scho's a wile blethcr"

Blouchtcr= cough (usually phlegm involved :) "Thon blouchtcr'n wud turn ye!"

Bodie= A person, usually a man "Hc daes nathen bot santcr, thon bodie, hae"

Brave= splendid; excellent; fine "Thon's a brave yin theday!"

Bumfle= (noun) irregular shapen lump; (verb) fidget in a disruptive manner "Ye hae aa thaim cuushens bumfl't aff thnn chair!"

C

Carnaptious= grumpy; irritable "Scho's wile carnaptious"

Clarry= smear in muck or other slime "Hc cum in clarryt"

Clat =a dirty person "Ye dirty clat!"

Clem =a stupid or foolish person "Tha clem cunnae even see thon"

Clipe = (noun)a tell tale; (verb) the act of telling tales "Hae you clipet on me?"

Clod= to throw "Tha weans's aye oot cloddin stanes"

Coggly= wobbly or unsteady "Thon tabel's a bit coggly lukin"

Cope= to knock over or overturn "Hc clean coped me"

Craik= to cry or moan about something "Wull ye gie owre wi thon craikin?"

Crack= good fun; gossip; state of affairs "Quhat's thr crack wi ye?"

D

Danncr= stroll, saunter "Ir yez g'n oot a danncr?"

Dotin= going senile; believing a mistruth "Ugh, yir dotin!"

Dour= boring; slow on uptake; sullen; reluctant; bleak (of weather) "Ugh, hc's aye bin as dour as bedammits!"

Drooth= thirst (note usage >>) "A hae a brave drooth on me!"

Dulse= eadible seaweed "Gie's a bit o dulse, hae"

Dunncr= a loud rumbling or battering noise "A fell a quaer dunncr, hae!"

Dunt bump "A duntit thnn theng an it fell"

E

Eejit= a fool or simpleton "Boys bot yir a bäg eejit!"

F

Footcr= potter; work in a fiddling time wasting way "Quhat ir ye footcrin at?"

G

Gansh= (noun) someone who talks too much; (verb)to talk too much "Quhat ir ye ganshin aboot?"

Geegit= gigglish; easily made laugh "Yin's as geegit as thr ithcr"

Gillik= an earwig "Puut thnn gillik oot, wud ye"

Gleed= (an ounce of) wit "Ye haenae a gleed"

Gumption= commom sense "Hae ye nae gumption?"

Gunk= a short, sharp shock; shocking news "A wuz quaerly gunkt tae hear thnn"

Gurry= gnaw or chew vigorously "It's giein thnn theng a brave gurryin!"

Gye =very; of considerable quantity "Ay it's gye waarm" - "Ay"

Gype =(noun) a fool / clown; (verb) to clown around in a manner such as might cause injury to yourself or others "Mynn youz nae gypin!"

H

Haach= / Haagh clear the throat or cough in a disgusting manner "Haach it up, it'll dae tha cat"

Haet =a very small piece / particle; (modern) an atom "Quhat'd hc lee ye?" - "Ugh, Naw a haet!"

Hash= a mess; work in a messy way "Redd thon hash up, wud ye"

Hauchle= (verb)walk slowly / awkwardly; hobble; totter; (noun)a clumsy awkward / messy person "We'll hauchle on here"

Hoke= to forage or poke around "A'll hae a hoke fur it later"

I

Insense= to explain; to get through to "A cunnae insense it intre hem"

J

Jap= splash "Ye get japt wile aise wi tha frying pan"

Jeuk= duck down or out of sight; avoid "We jeukt in tae hide fae yir man"

Jibble= dribble; spill "A jibbled me tae owre tha fluir"

Joogins= pieces; insides "Tha joogins is hingin oot o it"

Jundy= shake or nudge (usually resulting in a spill) "Dinnae jundy me while A drink me tae!"

K

Keeho= a (loud) laugh "Listen tae tha keehos o thaim"

Keek =peep; look round a corner or other obstacle "Tak a keek an see if ye see hem"

Kep= to drive cattle "Kep thon coo!"

L

Lauch= laugh "A laucht mesell intre a louseness"

M

Miscaa= verbally abuse or slander "Hc miscaad hcr tae tha lowest"

Moochty= spoilt by damp; mouldy "Dinnae lee them thonncr, the'll g'moochty!"

Mynn =remember; have mind of; take care "Mynn youz nae gypin!"

N

Nae =none "We hae nae breid in"

Naw= no; not "A'm naw gan theday"

Nyirp= complain or moan incessantly "Quet thnn nyirpin youse!"

Nyuck= steal; 'nick' "Did you nyuck thon?"

O

Oxtcr= (noun)armpits; (verb) to move someone by arms under their armpits "Tha polis oxtcrt hem oot"

Owre= over; too (usually with the negative) "Scho's naw owre warm theday"

P

Pleutcr / Pleuthcr move or work aimlessly, usually in water "Well, ye wull pleutcr in them puddles"

Pouk= pluck; tug; twitch "Me hair wuz aal poukt"

Q

Quare= / Quaer considerable; very; odd "Spose it dinged yir motnr?" - "Well ay, scho hit me a quaer =seugh, hae!"

R

Raven= (very) hungry "A wuz that raven hae, A cud o et horse an cairt"

Redd= clear or clean up "Redd thon hash up, wud ye"

Reek= thick smoke; to smoke "Tha reek fae thon fire'd cope ye!"

S

Sally =willow "Me ma hit me wi tha sally rod"

Santcr= speak in a rambling manner "Hc daes naethen but santcr, thon bodie, hae"

Sapplin= completely drenched; soaked "It cum on a quaer plump an A cum in sapplin"

Scran= food (slang) "Quhar's me scran?"

Screigh= scream; 'Screigh o day' = very early / sunrise "Ye'd o herd tha screighs o hcr far aneuch"

Scunge= explore; gallivant "Tha weefla's aye oot scungin"

Seugh= slap; rushing or roaring sound; throw "Spose it dinged yir motnr?" - "Well ay, scho hit me a quaer seugh, hae!"

Sheufty =move in a sliding motion; push "Gie hem a sheufty"

Sheugh= a drainage channel "As lazy as sheugh watter"

Skellie= / Skillie a sideways glance, usually from the corner of the eye "Luk at thr skellies o hem"

Skite= dart through the air suddenly, often at a slant; slip or slide; a slap "Watch ur thon'll skite fae ablow ye!"

Skunncr= sicken or bore; someone who is disliked "Thon bodie's a wile skunncration"

Slarry= to smear or spread mud or other unpleasant mess around "The wean slarried aal thr choclat roon its face"

Slatcr= a woodlouse "Slatcrs lik an oul moochty place"

Spelder= to pull muscles or injure oneself, usually by doing the splits "Scho speldert hcrsell owre tha sheugh"

Sprauchle= clamber or attempt to correct one's balance awkwardly "Hc got hemsell sprauchlt oot o it in thr hinner-en"

Stane =a stone "Tha weans's aye oot cloddin stanes"

Steugh= smog; oily, dense fumes "Thon's a quaer steugh!"

Stuke= a fool "Boys bot yir a sore stuke!"

T

Thaveless= incompetent; useless "Ugh, yir thaveless!"

Thole= put up with; to endure or bear "A cunnae thole thon boy fur onie lenth o time"

Thon= that "Adae wi thon girden"

Thonncr= over there "Wud ye luk at thnn thonncr!"

Thran= awkward (of a person); twisted; stubborn "As thran as beddammits!"

Tobe=r disciplined; punished "Thir in need o a guid run o toberin"

U

V

W

Wean =a child "Tha weans's aye oot cloddin stanes"

Wheen= a few; a number of "a wheen o sweeties"

Whin =gorse bush "A see tha whins's oot"

Whist= be quiet! "Houl yir whist!"

Wile =terrible; wild; extremely; very "Scho's a wile blethcr"

X

Y

Yella= man confectionery like honeycomb found at the "Auld Lammas Fair" in Ballycastle "Hae ye onie yella man on ye?"

Yin =one "Thon's a brave yin theday!"

Yo= a female sheep (a ewe) "g'eftcr thon yo, wud ye"