Whilst some confusion exists about their identity, even amongst themselves, the Ulster people, variously known as Ulidians, Ulster Scots or Ulster British, are a completely separate nationality from the Irish. The main reason why Ulster people do not want to be part of / be annexed by Ireland (the Republic of Ireland) is that they are not Irish. To Ulster people, Ireland is a foreign country with a culture and ethos alien to them. Irish nationalism is based on the mistaken premise that all on the island are one people / one nationality; this renders it fundamentally flawed.
Nationality can be defined as the origin, history, culture, heritage and identity of one people that gives them a different outlook from other peoples. Undeniably Ulster and Irish people are separate nationalities. Whilst ignored officially by Irish politicians, who pay lip service to Irish Nationalist myths that all on the island are one nationality, when tested the Irish recognise this undeniable fact. For example it has been alleged that during World War 2, Churchill offered the then Irish leader, Clan Chief (An Taiseoch) E. De Valera - a strident Republican - a united island if Ireland entered the war. This offer was rejected chiefy as De Valera did not want large numbers of Ulster people upsetting the Gaelic / Catholic ethos of Ireland that had been created; he innately recognised that Ulster people are not Irish.
19th century German and English travellers recognised that there were two peoples on the island. Politically this manifested itself in the two peoples going their own separate ways in 1920. Basically the Ulster people are descended from ancient Ulster, Gaelic, Viking, Norman, English, and Scottish peoples whose traits combine to give all Ulster people a unique Ulster identity. They are a different people from all others in the British Isles. This is true regardless of religion; Protestants and Catholics have more in common with each other than anyone else. It is true that many Catholics do regard themselves as Irish and Irishness is part of the make up of all Ulster people in the complex web of our nationality. However this is not true of the Irish who often regard all Ulster people equally as 'Black Northerners'.
Ulster people share a common heritage and shared identity. Ethnically they share they same gene pool whether today they may be dark and swarthy or the most fair of feature. The platation period saw towns develop with Scotch, Irish and English quarters - often of only a few streets. Clearly the people of these sectors intermarried over the centuries.
This point however has been lost historically through religio-political indoctrination and educational apartheid - Catholic and Protestant school children are for the most part educated separately in Ulster today. One of the major tragedies of Ulster is that one section of the Ulster people are indoctrinated into late nineteenth century myths in the catholic maintained education sector whilst the other section in the protestant state school sector is largely ignorant of it's own history. As has been said ignorance of history often causes it to be repeated and nowhere better exemplified is this than in Ulster.
Quote of US President James Buchanan (1857-61)-Shankill Road Wall Mural What are the differing characteristic features of these two peoples?
The Irish are more musical, literary and artistic. Ulster people are more prone to industry than the arts. The Irish are more confident vocally - they are more assertive in conversation than Ulster people who are more blunt of speech. The Irish are more opinionated and confident; Ulster people are more reserved and shy to give opinions. The Irish are more superstitious; Ulster people less so. The Irish are more sensitive to criticism; Ulster people do not care for other peoples' opinions and what people think of them. Morally issues for the Irish often appear to be ambivalent or grey areas; for Ulster people things are more black and white. The Ulster people have a very independent streak and are more egalitarian in outlook, the Irish are more hierarchical - religion does play a part in these relative outlooks. The Irish are more romantic and emotional - politically the heart often rules the head (e.g. the swift political swing to Republicanism after the executions following the 1916 Easter Rising by the Irish against British rule). Ulster people are more practical, level headed and non-emotional. The Irish would tend to be more frivolous financially, Ulster people more canny. The Ulster and Irish peoples play different sports historically (the Irish 'Gaelic' games of hurley and Gaelic football). They have different folk traditions in music (Irish Folk - bohran, tin whistle and Ulster / Orange Ballads - fife (flute), drum (lambeg), bagpipe, brass and accordion). There are different dance traditions and the two peoples have different languages.
Therefore they are separate peoples and whilst due to geographical proximity may share common features, they are as separate as Norwegians and Swedes or Spanish and Portuguese and no-one would argue these should unite as they share a geographical land mass.
This is a major source of confusion. People are prone to confuse geography and nationhood. It is peoples that make nations not geography.
It is somewhat ironic that the Irish gaelic revival of the late 19th century as a result of erosion of Irish Culture, has been echoed in the late 20th / early 21st century by a re-awakening of interest in Ulster Scots culture and heritage as the Ulster British increasingly recognise the threat of Irish cultural imperialism. This is also a reaction against demonisation of Ulster British culture in the media.
Leaflet Promoting Festival of Ulster British Heritage and Culture
One historical example of the existence of two nationalities occurred during the period that became known as the rebellion of the 'United Irishmen' in 1798. A rebellion supposedly to unite Catholic, Protestant and Dissenter against penal religious laws affecting all three quickly descended into mass slaughter of Protestants in Wexford; clearly the Irish did not regard these as Irish. Further, post Irish independence from the UK in 1920, the Protestant population declined from over 300,000 to less than 100,000 today; clearly few of these felt at home in Ireland.
Irish Republicanism pays lip service to the ideal that all who came to 'Ireland' - catholic, protestant and dissenter - are Irish. However 1916 Rebel Patrick Pearse wrote of the Irish as Gaelic and catholic, sectarianising this ideal. The fact that Pearse is revered by Republicans indicates that Republicans core belief is sectarian, contrary to it's professed ideology. In reality Irish republicans do not recognise the Ulster British as Irish, and quite rightly, as they are not Irish. As it is peoples that make nations and not geography, this is a de facto recognition that there are two nations on the island. It is about time the Irish came clean and said so explicitly as opposed to agitating for Irish annexation of Ulster with the resultant political instability.
Belfast Ulster Scots Festival 2000 - Promotional Leaflet
Ulster has it's own dialect / language known as Ulster Scots or 'Ullans' - as recognised by the European Union. Reflecting the Ulster nationality it is a language of blunt speech and few words. Predominant in counties Antrim, Down and east Donegal, it's influence is felt throughout Ulster - tha heirskip o a' oor ain kinfowk (the heritage of all our own people).
'Ah'm in wil bod fettle wi yon dreech loanen noo wi a' tha stuckin' clabber an' drookit stoor on tha wa'. It's a wil' midden an' ah'l hae tae redd it oot afore Ah gae hame' - I' m in a bad mood now with this dreary yard with the stinking mud and damp dust on the wall. It's a dump and I'll have to clear it out before I go home.
'Ah' m geh drookit frae efter cae'in doon tha brae; tha sheughs owerflowin' intae tha burn unner the brig. Ah'l bide a whil in tha shade afore gaein' doon tha raa' - I'm soaked through from coming down the hill; the ditches are flooding into the stream under the bridge. I'll wait a while in the barn before going down the road.
'Ma breeks are geh clarried frae getherin' tha prottas tha nicht' - My trousers are filthy (very dirty) from gathering the potatoes tonight.
'It wud founder ye tha dae, ye'll hae tae bumfle up agin' tha caul'- Meaning - It' s freezing today - you'll have to warp up warm against the cold.
'Ye' re too faun a whettin' yer thrapple, ya clunther ye!' - Meaning - You're too fond of the drink, you clumsy oaf.
'Ah dinnae ken sic a mon as yon critter; an thon weefla a he's wi a' tha ferntickles, thas a' traipsin' efter him, hes a peuchle' - I don't know such a man as that fellow (creature); and his son with all the freckles thats always following him, is a lazy article.
'Tha we'an's wil vexed wi greetin an' girnin; pit him in oor ain chammer forenenst tha dour' - The babies sore with crying; put him in our own room beside the door.
'Awa ye bletherskite an houl yer wheest ; Ah cannae abide a' yer santerin' forebye' - Go on you chatterbox and keep quiet; I can' t stand all your talking as well.
(Note the above examples may not exactly correspond to officially agreed spellings).
