The Institute of Ulster-Scots Studies (IUSS), which was opened in January 2001, is a joint venture between the Ulster-Scots Agency and the University of Ulster.  Located at the University’s Magee campus in Londonderry, this is the first Institute of its kind in the world, and represents a major step forward in the study of Ulster-Scots heritage and culture. 

Through its work, the IUSS aims to increase knowledge in all areas of Ulster-Scots Studies, and to promote this knowledge in both the academic and non-academic communities.  It is especially concerned to recover and preserve the historical legacy of Ulster-Scots, and to highlight the ways in which Ulster-Scots people have influenced cultural, political and intellectual ideas, worldwide. 

The staff of the IUSS form an interdisciplinary team, with researchers from history, language and literature, communication and cultural studies, and social science.  This means that its work is wide-ranging, and includes a variety of Ulster-Scots projects and research.  Broadly speaking, this work can be divided into a number of categories, including: resource compilation, historical research, contemporary research (i.e. ‘Ulster-Scots today’), community events, education and promotion, and international networking. 

The Institute is particularly keen to provide a resource centre for other scholars and for people with a general interest in Ulster-Scots.  For this reason, staff are currently compiling a number of databases.  These include both primary source materials (i.e. historical documents such as shipping lists) and secondary source materials (i.e. texts written about Ulster-Scots).  The first phase of a comprehensive Ulster-Scots database will soon be available on the IUSS web-site.  The database will be a key reference point for anybody working in the field of Ulster-Scots Studies.  The first phase focuses on secondary texts, and is divided into sections such as history, language, religion and culture.  Primary sources are now being collated under a sponsored research programme between the IUSS and the Centre for Irish Scottish Studies in Glasgow.  These will also be made available on the web-site. 

A range of historical and documentary research is currently being conducted at the Institute.  This includes PhD research on the development of Ulster-Scots identity in the seventeenth century, and a discursive analysis of the Depositions of 1641.  The IUSS is also carrying out a number of studies of contemporary Ulster-Scots culture.  One of the main projects here is the Ulster-Scots identity project.  This involves a series of focus groups and interviews being held across Northern Ireland and in the Border Regions of the Republic.  Since this sort of research has not previously been undertaken with the Ulster-Scots population, the study will provide a unique view of what it means to be Ulster-Scots today, how people see their own identity, and their attitudes to different aspects of Ulster-Scots culture and heritage.

A vital aspect of the IUSS’s mission is to develop and promote understanding and appreciation of the Ulster-Scots tradition, both in Northern Ireland and beyond.  Therefore, the Institute regularly organises community events such as music recitals, and public talks and lectures.  A hugely popular series of music recitals was held in Spring 2002, which highlighted public interest in Ulster-Scots culture.  In May 2002, the Institute also ran a series of public lectures on aspects of Ulster-Scots history and heritage.  These talks were delivered by speakers from the IUSS’s International Research Network (see below), and were exceptionally  well-attended in Belfast, Londonderry and Coleraine.  Members of the Institute frequently deliver talks about Ulster-Scots language and culture in both academic and community venues, and the Institute is developing a number of courses and curricula in Ulster-Scots Studies.  The IUSS was also recently involved in conducting a heritage audit and devising a cultural development strategy in liaison with the Presbyterian Church in Ramelton, Co. Donegal.  Another current project is the Institute’s plans to host a Burns Conference (‘Burns and Ulster’), which will be a parallel event with the International Burns Conference held annually at the University of Strathclyde.  This will take place in February 2003, and will also include a series of events aimed at community, school and media participation. 

Another important area of the IUSS’s work is its research on the Ulster-Scots Diaspora.  In particular, it aims to highlight the Ulster-Scots influence worldwide, and to establish international partnerships and collaborations in this field.  Therefore, an International Research Network has been established.  This has the aim of linking work across geographical areas of Ulster-Scots migration and settlement.  At present, the Network includes academic partners in Scotland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Virginia, North Carolina, and Georgia (USA).  The IUSS is engaged in a number of joint research projects with its international partners.  Also, in May 2002, members from Canada and the US participated in the Institute’s highly successful series of public lectures on Ulster-Scots history and legacy. 

Further details of the Institute’s aims, work and resources can be found on the Institute of Ulster-Scots Studies web-site at http://www.arts.ulst.ac.uk/ulsterscots

Éamonn Ó Domhnaill, Jim
Devenney with Institute
staff Dr. William Kelly
& Mary Delargy