And so I draw this project to a close with a sense of optimism and pessimism — that there could be great things ahead or it could just as easily go arse over tail! I do have a plan and between now and the spring equinox — Friday 20th March 2026 at 2.46pm — I’ll have to make my mind up what I’ll do with it. But as I’ve been writing an auld poyam has come to mind — yin fae 13th century Germany. For want of a nail the shoe was lost, For want of a shoe the horse was lost, For want of a horse the rider was lost, For want of a rider the battle was lost, For want of a battle the kingdom was lost, And all for the want of a horseshoe nail. So what is my closing thought — individuals cannot do it on their own — there must be collaboration. Creativity takes time and funding buys time. There is hope. Big things actually happen. Failure is as possible as success. So maybe I need tae gae thon nail yin last rattle!
Scots
The love of money is the… but cash is king.
The love of money is the... but cash is king I was invited to a gathering lately — an artsy sort of thing — when I suddenly realised that I’d created more pop culture than most of the other people in the room. This was a bit of a surprise - a wild junk — … Continue reading The love of money is the… but cash is king.
Unfended: Thran survival isn’t enough! From finding our feet to finding our future.
"Ulster Scots is a linguistic paradox. It is undefended, having been abandoned by the halls of power for prestige; it is undefeated, surviving in the mouths of the folk and the rhythms of the Ards; and until now, it has been undefined, lacking the very vocabulary—like diglossia or translanguaging—needed to explain its own existence."
When Perception Isn’t Reality
When I was young — in all honesty I could have said — Irish doesn’t exist. But how? I knew no one who spoke Irish. I knew no one learning Irish. I knew no one with any interest in Irish. I knew no one with an opinion on Irish - either good or bad. And though that was my lived experience — it wasn’t correct — because Gaeilge did exist — it just didn’t exist in my context.
Lost Words and Losing Words
If you’ve ever found something — it’s because someone lost it — quite possibly yourself! That twenty pound note blowing down the street — it didn’t magically appear — someone else is twenty quid down! Other things stay lost a long time before being found — normally when your looking for something else! While at … Continue reading Lost Words and Losing Words
Owning the Words We Speak: Language as a Bridge, Not a Barrier
So what does a win look like? I don’t mean a fantasy win — six numbers on the lottery or a huge inheritance from an unknown relation. So again — what does a win look like in the context of language? A win is an improved understanding and acceptance of language, accompanied by a sympathetic … Continue reading Owning the Words We Speak: Language as a Bridge, Not a Barrier
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