Scotch-Irish-L Archives

Archiver > Scotch-Irish > 2003-12 > 1071105336


From: "Joe McMaster" <>
Subject: [Sc-Ir] Radio cracker.
Date: Wed, 10 Dec 2003 20:15:36 -0500
References: <200312101131.AA708444826@mail.fea.net>


There is a radio station in Ballymena which runs up until December 24th, it
is called radio cracker, and is a charity event. It can be accessed on the
Internet. I just now logged onto that particular station but with the time
difference it is middle of the night over there and so there is only music
being played ... no local chatter.

The way to find it is to type in ... Radio Cracker ... in your Google
search engine, depending on the time of day that you log on, you might just
get to hear some of the Ballymena accent. I had to download RealPlayer
before I could pick up the audio.
good luck.
Joe.


----- Original Message -----
From: "Linda Merle" <>
To: <>
Sent: Wednesday, December 10, 2003 2:31 PM
Subject: Re: [Sc-Ir] Research aids


> Hi Bill,
>
> Thanks for the kind words and have you tried the
> BBC website? It has regional resources too and
> perhaps you can find webcasts. You can also find
> the website of the Belfast Telegram (I think it
> is). These usually of course have the Queens
> English.
>
> Search with google for local radio stations that
> might have audio on line.
>
> Items that greatly helped me with pronounciation
> of placenames are a couple Orange music CDs that
> I have: http://www.orangenet.org/cds.htm . Buy
> a couple and enjoy.....
>
> Some of the songs have the names of all the little
> towns where our ancestors lived -- and you get
> to hear them pronounced by your relatives in
> Ulster.
>
> However there is not a Scottish or Irish accent,
> or English for that matter. There is still a lot
> of regional dialect. Most folk would tell you
> the Geordie accent of Northeast England is very
> difficult. I was in Durham a week before I
> could understand anyone though they could under-
> stand me right away of course (TV, radio).
>
> The other difficult area is around Ballymena.
> People in Magherafelt told me they can't under-
> stand their cousins in Ballymena. Give up on
> Ballymena -- if people in a town close by cant
> understand them after a lifetime you can't learn
> it fast enough either.
>
> Beyond a few tough areas though due to the Queens
> English you can plan on being understood just fine.
> As for how your ancestors spoke, give up on that
> as the local dialects changed every 5 miles or
> so! If you doubt this, stop over in Ballymena!
>
> If you live in a Scotch Irish corner of the USA,
> including the northern end (western PA) you will
> not have such problems in Belfast as the locals
> like to tell you. When I was there they said "hmmm
> we thought we were the only ones who said THAT!"
> a lot at me.... I'd usually reply "Said what??".
>
> Outside of Ballymena, Durham is the worse I've
> been in and it made clear to me just how Ulster
> my own home-speak is.
>
> Everyone in the British Isles watches the tellie,
> so catch some British TV on American stations
> or on the Internet, if you can find them. There
> are a few that I really do need subtitles to
> understand like Northenders. I give up on them!!
> I got no ancestors in London so I can give up
> on them <grin>. There's that very cute Archie
> in the "Lord of the Glen". Highly recommended
> due to the fine scenery and the cuteness of Archie.
>
> In Scotland had no language problem but didn't
> go to the western Isles just the heart of Scotland,
> east Stirling, where me ancestors hail from. It's
> the place where the highlanders lost their Erse,
> their tartans, and their Mc's in order to fit into
> lowland society.
>
> Linda Merle
>
>
> ---------- Original Message ----------------------------------
> From: Bill Gordon <>
> Date: Wed, 10 Dec 2003 12:59:44 -0600
>
> >SI Listers -
> >
> >I have recently returned to the list after an absence of several years
> >(not that anyone would have missed me, as I contributed little), and I
> >am delighted to see that it remains the same premium source of SI
> >knowledge and research experience that I had remembered. My thanks and
> >gratitude to Linda Merle and several others who have invested so much in
> >sharing their knowledge over the years. At times this list has been the
> >equal of a graduate seminar.
> >
> >Since returning to my genealogical work I have been reading more in the
> >general histories of Scotland, Ireland, Revolutionary America, various
> >states, etc. One thing I need help with is how to pronounce place and
> >geographical names in both Scotland and Ireland. As I read, I feel the
> >inadequacy of my inner voice, and in considering a future trip to both
> >Ireland and Scotland, I question my conversational abilities. Moreover,
> >before making a trip of this kind, it seems only respectful to pay some
> >attention to learning how to communicate with the locals. (This may be a
> >lingering idea from my Peace Corps days -- early 60s -- when I served
> >for two years in Chile, having spent many weeks mastering Spanish.)
> >
> >So,
> >
> >1. Does anyone know of audio sources of place pronunciation for
> >locations in Ireland and Scotland?
> >
> >2. Also, can any of you who have traveled there for research reasons put
> >some perspective on my concerns about communicating? Am I overly
concerned?
> >
> >3. Are there tapes available with which I could tune my ear to what I
> >would hear in Ireland or Scotland today?
> >
> >Thanks for any help.
> >
> >Bill Gordon
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>











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