Ulster-Scots Poetry Project

Welcome to the Ulster-Scots Poetry Project

At present, dozens of collections of Ulster-Scots poetry sit on the shelves of libraries across the world. Many of these books are rare and difficult to find, or are too fragile to be handled any more.

Our aims are:

• to preserve these texts online for present and future generations;
• to celebrate their unique qualities of expression and creativity; and
• to explore their place as writing worthy of a place within Irish, Scottish, British and world literatures.

We hope to maintain their presence within the archive of Ulster poetry and to extend the discussion about their significance through further research and discussion.

The books on display here cover over a century of poetry - from the 1700s right up to the 1920s - and demonstrate the close ties that Ireland and Scotland have enjoyed for a very long time. The poems clearly show this through their shared linguistic and literary traditions. While these books are not an exhaustive survey of Ulster-Scots poetry, they bear witness to an extensive community of writers who worked in a medium that was enriched by, and often propelled by, the Scots language.

There is much debate over what constitutes Ulster-Scots language, literature, heritage and culture. This site, we hope, will provide some examples of the long association between Ulster and Scotland, our deep affinities and kinship, and the intense creative impetus that language provides to express our most personal thoughts and emotions.