Sir, - John Rooney of Belfast is dismissive of the Ulster-Scots language (September 23rd). He is more to be pitied than scolded for his lack of knowledge of it. Some 90,000 people speak Ulster-Scots in the counties of Antrim, Down and Derry. An additional 10,000 Ulster-Scots speakers live in east Donegal in the Republic. The Belfast Agreement commits all of its signatories to cherish the Irish and Ulster-Scots languages as part of the heritage of the entire island. Our Government would do a great service to the heritage of Ireland by financing and resourcing Ulster-Scots in the Laggan district of east Donegal where it is the living language of thousands of people and where it possesses a significant literary heritage.
Given that the Hansard reports of the proceedings of the assembly are to be written in English with translations into Irish and UlsterScots, arrangements should be made for Irish Ministers and civil servants to be given a grounding in the latter language. It would be a positive sign were an Irish Minister to make a speech or give an interview in Ulster-Scots at Stormont. - Yours, etc., Conal Gillespie
(Ulster-Scots Language Society), Carrowkeel, Quigley's Point, Co Donegal.