Madam, - George Gilliland (November 5th and 16th) rejects the notion that there is such a language as Ulster-Scots: "I have lived all my life in Ulster and I have never heard anyone speaking this language." Well, my uncle spoke it and my aunt a variant of it, and it is still to be heard in whole areas of rural Northern Ireland - though hardly in the reasonably affluent Kirkliston Park area of Belfast, from where Mr Gilliland writes.
What I find most curious is that there should be such a negative reaction against Ulster-Scots and any attempt to promote either its history or use. Why is there such fear of Ulster-Scots that it should be ridiculed at every opportunity? After all, it was spoken in its heyday Catholic and Protestant alike. Today, young Ulster poets are writing in it.
And so far, I have not heard of any attempt being made to make it a ghettoised language, while every effort is being made to do just that with Irish, even to the ominous point of excluding non-Irish speakers from owning homes in Gaeltacht areas here in the Republic, a move which surely contravenes some tenet of human rights.
So why, can someone tell me, does the mention of Ulster-Scots cause such resentment? - Yours, etc,
FRED JOHNSTON, Carn Ard, Circular Road, Galway.
A chara, - It is safe to say that Lord Kilclooney and I move in different circles. I have never met someone in Northern Ireland who has not heard Irish spoken. There is a healthy gaelgeoir community in Downpatrick, Castlewellan and Newcastle. The same is true in Derry, where my granny lives.
My boyfriend is of Chinese extraction, but his family have lost their Chinese. From a straw poll of his family we feel that Lord Kilclooney's faith in the Chinese language in Northern Ireland is as misplaced as his faith in Ulster Scots.
Parity of esteem should have meant English and Irish. However, a deal is a deal and we can support anyone who wants to use Ulster-Scots - even though there is more than a suspicion that its promoters are interested mainly in denigrating and undermining Irish. - Is mise, etc,
MOYA NICINNREACTAIGH, Castlewellan, Co Down.