When I first seriously began to engage with the Ulster-Scots tradition and heritage, I was amazed to discover the vast amount of existing research on the history, religious outlook, philosophy, language and general culture of the Ulster Scot.

To me, from a nationalist background in Munster, the various plantations which had taken place in Ulster were somewhat similar. I knew little of the vast numbers of the lowland Scots population which had been planted in East and Northern Ulster in the 16th and 17th centuries. Neither did I know of their distinctive religious and philosophical tradition and their linguistic and cultural heritage.

For four hundred years, Ulster has seen a clash of cultures and ideologies which developed into myths, aggressive confrontations, violent upheaval, hatred and division. Despite this, we have now come to a pass in the light of the Trojan work of peace, reconciliation and political wisdom which led to a new climate where people with distinctive socio ethnic and socio-political identities can come to live with each other and to accept each others genuinely held convictions.

The task is to accept difference and try to move forward to a time in which  "Protestant, Catholics and Dissenter", Nationalist, Unionist and Neutral can live together in peace and aspire to an "agreed island of Ireland" where no group is dominant and all are respected. That this may come about, it is vital that people from different traditions may come to understand and appreciate each other's philosophies and cultures.

The Irish language and culture is a rich and ancient repository of the ideas, customs and artefacts of a people that is worthy of respect and should not threaten anybody. The Ulster-Scots language and culture is similarly rich in philosophy and cultural expression. These traditions enrich the life of the peoples in this province and on this Island. They must come to further mutually understand and appreciate each other's outlook. The historical residue of political division has to be overcome by the creation of mutual understanding, friendship, peace and reconciliation.

I know that the Ulster-Scots community wants to play its part in this task of reconciliation. It is to be hoped that it will do so by affirming its culture in a non-adversarial way as indeed the Gaelic cultural tradition should be affirmed in the same manner.

Patrick Wall
October 2003