Ards & The Ulster Covenant - the story of a community

The 'big picture' political story of the Ulster Covenant is everywhere at the moment - radio, tv, newspaper and events. Tonight I spoke at the launch of 'Ards & The Ulster Covenant' exhibition which is now on display at Ards Town Hall until 6th October before then starting a 'tour' of other towns and villages across the Borough. I worked on the exhibition with a number of other folk who are readers here (go and see the exhibition - they are all named on the acknowledgements).

It takes a different angle, telling the grassroots story of the Ulster Covenant in the Ards area - of people, events and stories that the standard accounts gloss over. The panels are entitled:

• The Ards in 1912
• Connections with Scotland
• Home Rule and the Idea of the Ulster Covenant
• Public Rallies in the Ards
• Famous Ards Signatories
• The Women's Declaration
• Ards Folk who signed Beyond Ulster
• Differing Views, Mutual Respect
• From Ulster Covenant to Northern Ireland

There is also a large map showing the locations where the Covenant was signed in the area, with small bar charts of the numbers of men and women who signed. It's intended for a local audience, so therefore the approach is to tell local stories - this meant that fresh research was critical, to unearth themes and accounts that haven't been seen in 100 years. Various artefacts have also been uncovered and included - such as the handwritten Covenant from Ballywalter, and the Ballyfrenis banner.

If you live in the area or have some connection here, make a point of going along to see it and drop me a line to give some feedback.



Detail from map panel:


Some quick snaps

John Wesley in Ards - Town Hall Plaque

My children would call this an "epic fail"

...answers on a postcard!

"O Lord grant me Thy grace that no word or act of mine may be spoken or done rashly, hastily, or with anger towards those who differ from me"

From the Ulster Volunteer Force prayer, 1913.

Robinson & Cleaver Advert, 1962

Ballyeasborough LOL 1310, September 1912

The Ulster Covenant wasn't signed in Portavogie. Surprising as that might seem today, back then it was a tiny place. Maps of the early 1800s show only a handful of small houses scattered along the coastline, but no village as such. Descriptions of County Down of the late 1800s don't even mention Portavogie; the 1911 census shows that all of the other Peninsula villages had larger populations. There wasn't even a Presbyterian church in Portavogie until 1926, the same year that the People's Hall was founded, however the Orange Lodge in the village can trace its roots back to 1797 (see website here). The local parish church was (and still is) out in the countryside - St Andrew's Church at Ballyeasborough had been built in 1850 - it is literally at the end of our road. I went to Ballyeasborough Primary School (which was turned into a house years ago and is now for sale). Just up the brae a bit was Ballyeasborough Orange Hall, which was also turned into a house many years back. Below is a report of the pre-Ulster Day discussions at the Orange Lodge. In the end, 257 men and 240 women signed the Covenant and the Declaration at Ballyeasborough.

The Niver Budge - a poem from Greba / Greyabbey

I was given these a while ago and thought I should post them here to see if anyone out there can shed some light on the story. These are two related poems about a boat which was built at the 'Breek Hole' or 'Brick Hole' on the shore near Greyabbey around 1879. The construction was overseen by Mr H S Brookes, the land agent of Major General W E Montgomery (1847 - 1927) of Rosemount. While she was being built one of the locals declared 'boys she'll niver budge', and the name stuck.

The 'Niver Budge' was 20 -30 tonnes and was used to transport lime from Castle Espie, coal from England and seaweed from Strangford Lough. The poem below is said to have been written by Robert McKay, who was one of the crew:


The Niver Budge

Come all you seamen, and launch men, too
And a dismal story I'll tell you
Of terrible hardships; these were so,
On board the 'Niver Budge' not long ago.

To the 'Niver Budge' boys we do belong,
A well built vessel, both stout and strong,
Mr Brooks being her captain's name
A better seaman ne'er crossed the main.

Robert Wright - he is a man of fame
And bold Ned Kane - you may know the same,
For Sheely's Island we now set sail
For gravel bound; with a pleasant gale.

Bold McKay he loud did bawl,
"Lower your mainsail, here comes a squall"
He was a sailor, both stout and true
As ever sailed in the Budge's crew.

Out spoke bold Hagan, and this did say
"I think my brave boys, we'll have some tay,
We got no meat since we left the shore
And I'm afraid we'll return no more."

Mr Brookes he was an honest man
He took his seamen all by the hand
"Rabbie Reid", said he, "ye need no fear
For soon you'll see your Louisa dear".

As the Nut Bank it came into view,
Our gallant seamen their anchor threw.
And every man they held up their hand
And thanked God they were near the land.

Twas then that the small boat was launched,
Through wind and wave, for to take her chance,
She filled with water up to the brim
And we got a cart for to draw her in.


After this near disaster, the hull lay near Mid Isle at Greyabbey for years (pictured above), but eventually Major General Montgomery allowed the Scouts who camped on the island to break her up for firewood.

As you might expect from the locality, an Ulster-Scots version was also written - in fact, the person who gave both to me said that the Ulster-Scots one was written first. However I only have some fragments of it, which are below, and spelled as provided to me:


The Niver Budge

Ou'l Ned Kane at the helm did stand
By the help of God, boys weel reach the land
At Ned's word the sails did fill
And they steered her for Greba Mill

Keptain Brooks being a dacent man
Tuck his sailors by the han
Rabby Reid ye needny fear
For soon you will see your Louisa dear.

Up spoke boul Hagans
And thus did say
A'll put the tay pot on for a drap o tay


I've been looking at some old maps of the coastline between Greyabbey (Greba) and Kircubbin, and have found some interesting old Scottish-influenced place names such as Bloody Burn Bay (which of course the Bloody Burn flows into) and Bank O Bonnie.

So I was talking yesterday with a recognised authority on the Ulster Covenant...

... and asked him a few questions which had been puzzling me. He confirmed that:

1) The 'turnout' to sign the Ulster Covenant in 1912 across Co Antrim and Co Down, when compared with the 1911 census figures, was low. Perhaps only around 50% of those who could sign up to it (ie the Ulster Protestants / Unionists) actually did. And the numbers who signed in Belfast were relatively low as well.

2) The clergy of the Church of Ireland were more pro-Ulster Covenant than the Presbyterians, with about 85% and 65% signing respectively.

These are two major revelations. When you talk to people who really know their subject you can get a very different, and fresh, perspective. Discuss...

'The Work and Progress of the Gael' - 100 years ago last night...

... on 9 September 1912 the renowned / infamous historian, antiquarian and Irish nationalist Francis Joseph Bigger (1863-1926, see biography here) held a public meeting at St Patrick's Parochial Hall in Portaferry. Bigger had recently completed his conversion of Jordan Castle in Ardglass into an O'Neill castle (which he renamed Castle Shane) and so was fairly active in the Lecale area. There is a fascinating account in the Newtownards Chronicle of how Bigger and William Gibson sailed from Strangford at 7pm, across the 'limpid waters of the lough in a dignified manner in well-lighted boats', landed at Portaferry, paraded the town led by torch bearers, and held the event where the theme was 'The Work and Progress of the Gael'. Earlier in the day there had been 'childish' rumours circulating that some from Portavogie intended to disrupt the meeting, but nothing of the sort happened - '...the eternal vigilance of the R.I.C. under the command of Sergeant Reynolds and Constable Breen was largely in evidence; but this was as unnecessary as it was ridiculous...the Portaferry police were too sharp to be bamboozled'.

I plan to type up the full newspaper account and post it here soon. It stresses yet again that despite valid differences of opinion, people got on well with each other.

Bigger was a remarkable character and collector, who did a great deal to preserve old stories and traditions. Some say he maybe even invented a few along the way! His story was recently published as "FJ Bigger - Ireland's Cultural Visionary" (see here for info).

• St Patrick's Parochial Hall is now available for hire as holiday accommodation (click here). A replica is at the Ulster Folk & Transport Museum (click here).

Oul country remedies: Witness the amazing fat-melting herbal rub! (weemen never change...)

This was in a few 1914 editions of the North Down Herald. Feel free to share this with your female friends just to see how they react. I suspect some will be online in seconds trying to locate a supplier of 'cirola bark' and 'quassia chips'.

Ulster Covenant Centenary events in the Ards

I'm pleased to update readers here that a wide range of activities are being planned for the Ards area to mark the 100th anniversary of the Ulster Covenant. The forthcoming exhibition will have its first public showing will be on Saturday 22nd September at the free Commemorative Family Day in Londonderry Park which runs from 11am - 4pm. Keep an eye out for the doordrop leaflet which will be delivered to approx 20,000 homes over the next week or so to promote all of the activities. ( Most if not all of the contributors to the exhibition are regular readers here, so thanks to every one of you - I won't name you just yet!).

One of the themes in the exhibition is to tell some of the stories of those in the area who opposed the Covenant, who supported Home Rule for Ireland - and importantly of the positive neighbourly relations which remained throughout the period. People had differing political opinions and religious traditions, but were determined to remain good neighbours.

The rural Ards is not a perfect place, and there are of course some hotheads in various localities and communities, but these positive relations can be seen back in 1606 when Scottish families arrived here with Hamilton & Montgomery, through the 1798 period, through the 1912 Covenant period, and they remain the norm here today. This is an important message, especially with recent events in Belfast. Long may those positive community relations continue.

As the Newtownards Chronicle report of September 1912 observed, the Ards had "...none of that bigotry and sectarianism, alas, too common in other areas..."

Punch Brothers - playing in Belfast on 5th November

Great band, frightening technical ability. Playing at the Empire Music Hall on Botanic Avenue on Monday 5th November. Not exactly trad old-time/bluegrass but it's their modern avant-garde twist that makes them what they are.

From Belfast City Hall "Decade of Centenaries" exhibition"

...and there are still plenty today blighted by these same ambitions.

Ulster Covenant Centenary events in the Ards area

(Please forward this post to anyone you think might be interested)

I'm working on a few projects with Ards Borough Council to commemorate the signing of the Ulster Covenant in the borough back in September 1912. I've been asked to publicise these two related events:

Talk: 'The Covenant and its Legacy' by Dr David Hume
Monday 17 September at 7pm in the Town Hall, Newtownards
Admission is free, but please register by emailing Ursula Mezza, Public Relations Officer - click here

Community Church Service
Friday 28 September at 10am in St Mark's Church, Newtownards
Members of the public are welcome to attend.

The projects I am helping with are nearing completion, with lots of local 'buy-in' from across the borough. The research team have found some brilliant stories which have been forgotten over the intervening years, and some of which are very important for today's generation.

More info to follow here over the coming weeks.

160 Acres Free! Emigration to Canada - advert from the North Down Herald, 1914.

This advert caught my eye on a recent trip to the Newspaper Library in Belfast. Because it uses the same form of words that my great-uncle John used in his first letter home after emigrating to Canada in the 1920s. (see previous blog post here). I wonder if he was deliberately referring to a similar advert which had caught his eye back then?

Spirit Family Reunion at The Goat's Toe this Friday night.

This band are playing at The Goat's Toe in Bangor on Friday night and Belfast on Saturday night. Brilliant sound. Thanks to the Open House Festival email newsletter for letting me know.

Oul things are the best things

Pokey LaFarge - Josephine

'Amity and Enmity' by Anthony D Buckley

I came across this 2010 article a few days ago, on the website of University College Dublin. I don't know the author - Anthony D Buckley - but I think that many of you will be interested in what he has to say. Even though he seems not to 'get' the fullness of Ulster-Scots heritage, and seems to not be aware of the upsurge in Reformed thinking within the younger generation, the general approach of the article - that the stereotyped "them against us" narrative of Northern Ireland is not the whole story - is very welcome. Here are a few excerpts:

'...Protestants and Catholics prided themselves on being good neighbours. This good neighbourliness manifested itself in all kinds of ways. For example, there was practical help between farmers, with the larger tasks being shared... there was also evidence of general good-neighbourly behaviour between people irrespective of sectarian division... in many other places, community relations have remained quietly strong, much as they were in the 1970s and earlier. It is merely that writers have stopped writing monographs of this kind. Subsequent studies have been inclined to concentrate on less peaceful places and to neglect the cooperation and amity that still exists and can readily be rediscovered...'

I also like his warning to government to not turn authentic local festivals into 'tourist attractions'. Local people inherit local tradition from previous generations - whereas visitors just consume it. You can read the whole article here.

Mair fishin' fae Peninsula Charters

We were fortunate enough to get back out again yesterday, and what a haul! We brought home 40 fish - cod, pollack (lythe) and mostly coalfish (blockan) - of around 2lbs weight each. Also got a wrasse and a wheen o mackerel forbye. As you can see from the pics below we had nearly 3 full buckets, which when we got home again became a well-filled sink where all were gutted, beheaded, de-scaled, cleaned and readied for either the cooker or the freezer.

Even a generation or two ago, people around our area caught big numbers of fish during the summer months for survival - layered them in saut (salt) in big earthen crocks which were then stored in a cool outhouse - all to keep the family alive until springtime. We are fortunate to go fishing without that pressure, simply for leisure and enjoyment... and in good weather.

Visit the Peninsula Charters website here. And when you book them tell them I sent you!