Peace and Reconciliaton Project 2007

East Donegal Ulster Scots Association launched an exciting Peace and Reconciliation project in the Mount Errigle Hotel Letterkenny on St Andrew's Day Thursday 30th November 2006.

The project has been awarded E47,500 by Donegal County Council Led Peace 11 Task Force and over the next eight months will deliver an exciting project to promote awareness of Ulster Scots, building the confidence of the Ulster Scots community and breaking down barriers within the wider community.

Need for this project has been highlighted in a number of research projects delivered by Locus and Derry and Raphoe Action. The research has highlighted concerns about the minority cultured being smothered and demonised. This project seeks to raise awareness and overcome cultural isolation.

The project has four central aspects, a twenty week training programme will seek to develop skills in traditional music and dance skills including, piping, drumming, fiddle, accordion, highland and Scottish Country Dance. Taster sessions will also be available in Lambeg drumming, fife and flute.

The main outcome of this training will be the Donegal Ulster Scots Experience a one hour show which will showcase Ulster Scots culture at community festivals throughout Co Donegal.

The 27th to 29th April 2007 will see a three day summer school held in the Mount Errigle Hotel Letterkenny exploring Settlement, Flight and Plantation, Migration, Peace building and the role of faith within Ulster Scots. This event will also include a field trip of historical venues in East Donegal. This event will attract exciting speakers and encourage dialogue and debate.

From the 14th to the 16th of June 2007 a three day festival will be held in Raphoe, with an open air concert in the Diamond, music, song dance, historical re-enactment and a seminar on the Ulster Scots families of Donegal.

It is hoped that visitors will come from throughout Northern Ireland, the Border Counties and beyond to this exciting festival in historic Raphoe.

In 2007 a number of exciting events will be held in County Donegal to mark the

400th anniversary of the Flight of the Earls and the end of the old Gaelic order. This project has been working closely with the commemoration committee and will complement this commemoration while marking the arrival of the Scots in Donegal in 1607 and the new order which came to Ulster.

The Project seeks to increase awareness of Ulster Scots in County Donegal and value the contribution Ulster Scots can make to a reconciled community. The Ulster Scots community have played a significant role in the life of the County for 400 years and the Planters and their families have shaped this County in terms of heritage, culture, religion, environment, agriculture, language and industry.

Through this project we are confident that the wider community will be made aware of the cultural diversity which exists within this County and is often hidden from view.

We wish to record our thanks to the Donegal County Council led Peace 11 Task Force for supporting the project financially and the support given by the Ulster Scots Agency.