Martin McGuinness calls on Northern Ireland to take part in tourist initiative “The Gathering”

sorry, that should read 'terrific'

A teriffic idea, Martin McGuinness.

citizen69: Sme people seem to think that all Protestants in the U.S.who have Irish ancestry are Scots-Irish. One example of this is Clare native Roland Curtin who emigrated to Penn. around the 1830s and married a daughter of Senator Andrew Gregg. The couple's son Andrew Gregg Curtin was Governor of Penn. during the Civil War. The Governor's father (a Clareman) has no known connection with Ulster or Scotland, yet he is sometmes described as Scots-Irish.

@oldboreen: a couple of corrections. the Scots & English planters weren't placed in Ulster to displace the Irish (as few were displaced) but to even up the numbers with those who would be loyal to a Protestant crown. Yes they proudly acknowledge their origins to be Scottish but that doesn't mean many don't regard themselves as Irish. Remember the United Irishmen was founded by and predominately consisted of Protestant Scot planters from Ulster. There's nothing misleading about regarding oneself as an Ulsterman. I'm a proud Ulsterman myself and also regard myself as Irish. @Seanmor: Strangely enough, most northern Protestants are more willing to describe themselves as Irish while outside of Ireland than they are while in Ireland! It loses it political connotations when outside of the Island and is more of a geographical reference.

The term 'Ulster Scots' has been in use in Ireland since at least the 1880's and there are plenty on books from these times that use it. There is also a well known Anti-home rule poster from 1901 entitled 'The Ulster-Scots' showing a historic Scottish warrior claiming the right of Ulster-Scots to defend Ulster from 'Rome Rule'... 'Scotch-Irish' is an older term and has been used in America from before the mass immigration of Catholic Irish around the 1840's. But SeanMor is correct in saying that most Scotch-Irish referred to themselves as simply Irish or less commonly as simply Scottish. Yes the Northern Ireland football team referred to themselves as Ireland up until the 70's. The Republic was the break-away team after partition and played under the name Irish Free State. The northern team were regarded as the national team for all Ireland until 1950. A FIFA ruling stated that neither team could be officially called Ireland, the decreed the northern team should be known as Northern Ireland, while the south would be known as Republic of Ireland. Back to the main article, Ulster Scots should definitely be included in 'the Gathering' campaign as there are probably as many, if not more people of Scots-Irish decent in America as there are Catholic Irish, most just don't know it!

BTB! You missed SM's double entendre, (Hic!) OB! SM is Irish-American. He quite probably doesn't need a condenscending lecture. EK! Now that peace has been declared and broken out on the island of Ireland, I trust you will gather with us soon. As a Lenster unionists, I urge the Irish Government to subsidise such travel arrangements of diaspora. BTB! "IRA terrorists" (sic) are less likely to blow anything up in an athmosphere of mutual inclusion. DOL! Spot on old chap. Spoken like a gentleman. SOM! An older brother is reading an interesting book by some woman called Mc Carthy called "The Other Irish: The Ulster-Scots in the United States" or some such title. Many notables. Davy Crokett - King of the Wild Frontier - had a cousin who fought at the Siege of Derry on the Williamite side. Both traditions on this island produced many good men and women. Why not celebrate them?

bythebay are you related to Ian Paisley or something???

Seanmor - That would be Wembley, just up the road from Wembleton...tennis anyone?

Oldboreen: I'm American by citizenship, English by birth and Irish by heritage and everything else - an Irishness that applies to all of Ireland, the country in which I was raised. I first met a Northern Protestant as a teenager in Sussex in the late 50s. Freddie never said he was Ulster Scots, Scots-Irish or anything else but Irish. His English co-workers often called him Paddy but he didn't seem to mind. In Nov. of 57, a soccer tean called Ireland beat England 3 goals to 2 at Wembleton. The victorious team represented only the North, but Freddie and I were jumping for joy at the results. My first trip to the North was in 2006,accompnied by my wife, a New England Methodist who has family connections near Belfast. Our hostess was a member of the Church of Ireland, the only denomination that takes its name from the country. Before wse left N.Y. my wife phoned the British Tourist office for info on the North, but she was referred to an Board Fáilte, who sent a tour book for all of Ireland. I now hold in my hand a leaflet issued by the Orange Order and its official title is The Orange Instution of Ireland. Not a word about Ulster Scots, Scots-Irish or any other hint of 'racial' differences between Orangemen and Nationalists in the Emerald Isle. In closing, I'd like to say that the true Scots are more Gaelic than the average Irish Nationalist.

seanomelb, the term Ulster Scots has been used for decades, must have escaped the news in Australia.

Ireland`s Green Hills need Tourists, like Mars needs Women. Like England needs to Free Tibet. Like Barack Obama and Hilary Clinton need C.I.A covert Global Humanization. Like January Jones needs a Sports Illustrated Wet Suit Centerfold ? Like ......

"Ulster Scots" is a relatively new phrase used by a section of the population to find an identity and to hide their Irishness and their bigotry.

Oldboreen – You make a few sweeping statements…first you claim that the term 'Northern Ireland' is not strictly accurate…how can this be? I guess you were given a name by your parents, as it is the right of parents to choose a name for their children…similarly the people of an area are allowed to give that area a name …and the name chosen in this case was 'Northern Ireland' – or are you like the Greeks who don’t like the Macedonians calling their state Macedonia? And how can they not be Ulstermen, if they were born in a part of Ulster?...I know a number who do consider themselves as Irish, as well as Ulstermen..and carry an Irish passport…

Oldboreen – You make a few sweeping statements…first you claim that the term 'Northern Ireland' is not strictly accurate…how can this be? I guess you were given a name by your parents, as it is the right of parents to choose a name for their children…similarly the people of an area are allowed to give that area a name …and the name chosen in this case was 'Northern Ireland' – or are you like the Greeks who don’t like the Macedonians calling their state Macedonia? And how can they not be Ulstermen, if they were born in a part of Ulster?...I know a number who do consider themselves as Irish, as well as Ulstermen..and carry an Irish passport…

EphraimKibbey, if they come they take their changes don't they? The big thing in the United Kingdom including Northern Ireland now is the Olympics and trying to assure the IRA terrorists don't blow anything up. Far more are expected to travel for the Olympics than any pseudo Gathering.