04 May 2022

Coming Up Soon!!

 

 

The Ulster-Scots Agency will be exhibiting at Stand 110 in the Eikon Shopping Village.

Maybe you’ve spent your springtimes in the tractor either ‘scalin dung’ or ‘pleughin rigs’. Or your summers in the fields ‘stookin’ bales by hand. If you work with herds of cows or cattle you’ll be familiar with moving them from field to field, as we say ‘keppin beese’. Even that familiar word ‘keppin’ is Scots in origin – the Concise Scottish Dictionary defines it as ‘the heading off or intercepting of animals’.

 

Ireland is of course world famous for potatoes, and ‘bingin prootas’ or ‘tatties’ has been back-breaking work for generations. Ulster-Scots emigrants introduced the potato to America in 1719, at Derry in New Hampshire. In the 1930s it was North Antrim man John Clarke who created over 30 varieties of potato, and he named every one of them with the prefix ‘Ulster’.

 

Some of our best-loved agricultural entrepreneurs include of course Harry Ferguson, of Massey Ferguson fame, and also Cyrus McCormick (Virginia-born inventor of the mechanical reaper, and founder of IHC). Ballymena born farm labourer Samuel McCaughey became the ‘sheep king’ of Australia and a pioneer of water conservation.

 

As you explore this year’s Show, remember that even the name Balmoral, first used for this famous agricultural show in 1896 when it was first held in the Balmoral area of Belfast, has a connection with Scotland – it is of course also the name of the Royal family’s official Scottish residence of Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire. Queen Victoria awarded Dickson’s of Newtownards a Royal Warrant for rose breeding, and the family firm is still world renowned today.

 

Dates and times

Wednesday 11th May                                     9.30am – 6pm

Thursday 12th May                                         9.30am – 8pm

Friday 13th May                                              9.30am – 7pm

Saturday 14th May                                         9.30am – 6pm

 

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