Continuing our 'Learning Ulster Scots is Fun with Jim Shannon' series, this week we find out the DUP man's opinion on the new Libraries Bill:
Efter 25 yeirs o' gye bad unner fundin' an no bei' leuked aboot, hit's lang past the ti' at this 'Semmlie saen hoo important hit bes tae hae a library system at hes eneuch staff an catter in onie forrit an' richt thinkin' society. Tae knaw quhar ye ir heided a boadie furst hes tae ken quhar yin hes bein an this bes sae in Norlin Airlan es we see at the library isnae onie a place ferlearnin' bit bes aboot the celebration o' heirskeip an' history forebye. The Libraries Bill - quhair yin authority - at hes the input o' members o' the Depairtment o' Cultur' Airts an by tim' wul bae accountable an airted onie aa the bes' provision o' service to ivryboadie in the communiuty.
Did you noticed that last week he referred to Northern Ireland but this week its Norlin Airlan? I suppose it's a living, breathing language and from week to week new words are going to spring up.
Also, seeeing the word 'ken' got me thinking of Irvine Welsh (pictured above), who writes in a phonetic Edinburgh dialect - is that Ulster-Scots or just Scots-Scots? Is the author of Trainspotting and Marabou Stork Nightmare (which is the superior book in my humble opinion) the greatest living exponent of Ulster-Scots?
Staying with Ulster-Scots, questions tabled to ministers often illuminate a subject more than the answers do, and such is the case with Nelson McCausland's (North Belfast DUP MLA) recent query to the Minister for Education. He asked Catriona Ruane to itemise the total expenditure by her department in relation to Ulster-Scots in the year 2003-04, which amounted to £69.95!
Well I got a private briefing from a Department insider and can now reveal the extent of their purchases:
15 tartan scarfs
4 tartan pencil cases
1 bag from a set of bagpipes
No comments:
Post a Comment