HAPPY EASTER

APRIL 2012

Ullans Alive Newsletter

Its hard to believe that April is here already, it doesnt seem like yesterday when we were celebrating Christmas. As most of you will be reading this after the 1st April I promise there is no April Fools in this edition but I will wish you all a great Easter and dont scoff too much chocolate. In this edition we take a look at the RMS Titanic plus a roundup of the activities that have been undertook by the Ullans Centre in March.

Over 2 hours the Titanic flooded and sank causing 1517 peoples lives to be lost mainly due to the lack of lifeboats on the Titanic and the fact that lifeboats were not filled to capacity. At approx. 2.20am the Titanic broke up and sank bow first with over 1000 people still on board. The 710 survivors were later taken on board by another ship, the RMS Carpathia. The wreak of the Titanic remains on the seabed, gradually disintegrating at a depth of 12415 feet. Since the rediscovery in 1985, thousands of artifacts have been rediscovered from the seabed and displayed in museums around the world. It may have sank but the Ulster Scots people can be proud of building such a first class ship as the RMS Titanic.

Anne Morrison-Smyth
Development officer

RMS Titanic This year on the 15 April marks the 100 year anniversary of the sinking of the RMS Titanic. The RMS Titanic was ordered on September of 1908 and building started the following year in March at the Harland and Wolff boatyard in Belfast at yard 401 The RMS Titanic was built to carry 2200 people (1316 passengers and ~900 crew). Men from all walks of life thought-out Northern Ireland worked and built the RMS Titanic between 1909-1911 and st was launched but never christened on 31 May 1911. Finally completed on 2 April 1912, the RMS Titanic made its Maiden Voyage just 8 days later th on 10 April from Southampton calling at Cherbourg in France and Queensland Ireland before heading westwards towards New York but th on the night of 14 April 1912, just 4 days after leaving Southampton, the RMS Titanic hit an iceberg at 11.40pm (ship time). The collision caused the Titanics hull plates to buckle and opened up and five watertight compartments were flooded.
nd th

Hamely Tounge

Dinnae bae bring the yaird inta the hoose.

Do not be bring dirt into the house

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Ullans Alive Newsletter

Ullans Fowk James Alexander Young Born on the 23
rd

Wilfred Seward Mr Wilfred Deable Seward was born in London th on the 15 March 1887. At the age of 25 Wilfred was transferred from the Olympic and was onboard for the Titanics journey from Belfast to Southampton but does not appear on the ships log for this journey. Wilfred did however sign on the Titanic on the th 14 April 1912 and gave his address as 5 Shirley Road, Southampton. He would be employed as the Chief Pantry Stewart and received a monthly wage of 4.10s. When asked about the night the Titanic sank, Wilfred said: "I remember one of my staff coming to the cabin and telling me that the ship had bumped something. I didnt think it was anything important so I just lay on my bunk, and read on. Shortly afterwards, someone called, Youd better get up, theres something wrong. I went on deck and was told we had hit an iceberg. At the British enquiry Wilfred said that when he arrived on the Titanics deck he help passengers on with their lifejackets before moving to lifeboat 5 but when to his allocated boat no:3. Wilfred would be one of the lucky ones, having survived the Titanics sinking.

June 1918 at 33 Union Street,

Ballymoney. James was the fourth child of Alexander and Grace Young. Following World War 1, the Youngs moved to Belfast. At the age of 14 James left school and found work as a rent collector for a local estate agent visiting many homes throughout Belfast. It was during these visits that he would find inspiration for future comedy characters. James is best remembered for characters of people in

Belfast. These included Orange Lil, The Lady from

Cherryvalley, and Derek the Window Cleaner. James was also one of the very first comedians to confront the Troubles in his comedy. James was due to receive an MBE but he would never receive his award. While driving home on the afternoon of 5 July 1975, he suffered a massive heart attack and died at the scene.
th

But his life and works are still remembered today with a
blue plaque in his memory placed at his birth place in Union Street, Ballymoney and also at his family home in Fernwood Street, Ormeau Road, Belfast Schools Packs As part of development of the Ullans language in 2012, we are aiming to have one of each of our publications in as many schools libraries as possible throughout Northern Ireland.

But what connection has Wilfred with Ulster? Well in 1954 he moved to Ballymoney, CoAntrim, a town he would call home until his th death on 12 December 1963.

Classes & Tuition Piping and Drumming, Monday nights @ 7pm, Ullans Centre Fiddle and Tin Whistle tuition Tuesday evenings, Ullans Centre Community Choir, Tuesday evenings, Ullans Centre. Scottish Country Dance, Wednesday nights, Evergreen Centre.

To-date all the schools in North Coast, and Co-Antrim have been approached with the packs and we plan to work our way down Northern Ireland in the coming weeks.

Yvonne White (Ullans Speakers Association Member)

For more details contact The Ullans Centre.

APRIL 2012

Ullans Alive Newsletter

Upcoming Events Topp Pipe Band Concert 20th April, Ballymoney Town Hall. 8pm, Tickets 5. You will have a great night and a fantastic tea. Crooked Jack are a superb band and off course the Topp Pipe Band will be playing! Tartan Day A big part of both the Scottish and Ulster Scot Heritage and identity is family Tartans, but did you know that there is an annual Tartan Day? Well there is!

Originally started off as a one off event, it st was held in New York City on 1 July 1982 to th celebrate the 200 anniversary of the repeal th of the Act of Proscription of August 12 1747, the law forbidding Scots to wear Tartan.
Since then countries such as Canada, Australia, New Zealand and even Argentina have followed suit. In recent years Scotland have also begun to st celebrate Tartan Day with the 1 celebrated th on 6 April 2004 by Angus Council. Since then other councils have begun attempting to develop this event with these having taken place in Aberdeen, Kilmarnock, Stirling, Glasgow and Edinburgh. So why not break out the family Tartan and th on 6 April celebrate with a Tartan Party (not that the Ulster Scots needs an excuse to party!)

B-Specials Functions The Ullans Centre was asked recently to provide Ulster Scots music and entertainment as well comparing a couple of B-Special events held in Ballymoney to commemorate the men who called themselves the B-Men.

The B-Specials or as they were also know The Ulster Special Constabulary were formed in October 1920. Set up to be called upon in times of emergency, as in the case of the 1950s during the IRA border champagne.
The Special Constabulary was disbanded in May 1970, after the Hunt Report, which advised re-shaping Northern Ireland's security forces in a less partisan manner and disarming the police. Its functions and membership were largely taken over by the Ulster Defense Regiment (UDR) and the Royal Ulster Constabulary Reserve. Ulster Scots history is not just about how we got here but also our history since weve been here. The B-Specials are a good example of how their short existence shaped the peace process in Ulster of which we have all been a part of and now they are remembered for their part and want to tie the Ulster Scot culture into their celebration.

Ulster Scots Stories in Library March saw a Development Officers from both Ullans Centre and Ulster Scots Agency hold an Ulster Scots story telling event in the local Ballymoney Library. Children from a local primary attended the session and really enjoyed it. This may lead to more of these sessions being organized in the future.

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Congratulations to the Pipers who are learning the pipes in the Ullans Centre every Monday night on receiving their certificates

For further information on anything you have read in this edition of the Ullans Alive or any other Ulster Scots enquiries, please contact the staff of The Ullans Centre using the contact details below. Please also feel free to forward on this newsletter.

SOME YINS TAAK ABOOT IT, WE JEST TAAK IT

The Ullans Centre 4-6 Victoria Street Ballymoney BT53 6DW Telephone: 028 276 68897 E-mail: ullans@live.co.uk

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