Ulster-Scots at The Fleadh!

Helen Mark MBE presents a special edition of BBC Radio Ulster’s weekly Ulster-Scots magazine show alongside Willie Hill and Jonnie Crawford. The team take in the Ulster-Scots contributions to Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann – which took place in Belfast for the very first time. The world’s biggest celebration of Irish music, song, language and dance was a huge success – and the pipes, drums and Ulster-Scots culture incorporated played a very important part. Helen caught up with Darren Leighton from Belfast Bands Forum who played a huge role in bringing marching bands and the like to the heart of the Fleadh - be it the gig rig at City Hall, showcases at Ulster Hall or - most notably - a very special event at Titanic Slipways. The trio also caught up with many musicians – both local and international – who either took part in or simply enjoyed the Ulster-Scots music. There’s also plenty of thoughts from music fans visiting the city and even a cameo from Brian Kennedy. The big question throughout was – did the Ulster-Scots music fit in and was it well received?
As always, listeners are invited to contact the programme with a good Ulster-Scots yarn or event to talk about. The easiest way to do that is by email – kintra@bbc.co.uk