'God's Frontiersmen - The Scots-Irish Epic'

In 1988 Channel 4 (UK) in co-operation with Ulster Television produced a four episode mini-series and accompanying book entitled 'God's Frontiersmen - The Scots-Irish Epic' by Rory Fitzpatrick.  The TV production was part drama, part documentary exploring the Ulster-Scot journey from Scotland to Ulster and then for many, onto America. The series containing around 3.5 hours of video was released on VHS in 1989 and possibly on DVD a little later. Both the book and the video are worth trying to track down for anyone interested in Scots-Irish / Ulster-Scot history.

the hardback book

Presented below are a series of clips from TV series plotting part of that journey.... Thanks to YouTube user BickyBox for uploading these clips!


Clip 1
The introduction to 'God's Frontiersmen'. This opening clip looks at an infamous section of the Anglo-Scots border communities who comprised part of the plantation settlers in Ulster; The riding families or Border Reivers.

The Ulster roots of Sir Ian McKellen

McKellen as Gandalf

Film and theatre legend Sir Ian McKellen has compared his great-great grandfather to Ian Paisley.

The multi award-winning star of the stage aswell as movies such as Lord Of The Rings, Richard III,  X-Men & the Hobbit revealed his family tree can be traced back to the Ulster town of Ballymena, Co Antrim.

Playlist of over 70 videos relating to Scots-Irish / Ulster-Scots on YouTube...

watch videos above or click below...

Forged in Ulster video playlist.... click here.

Forged In Ulster's YouTube playlist of over 70 videos relating to Scots-Irish / Ulster-Scots on . History, music & culture from Ulster, America & beyond.

'Us Boys' Documentary film

Filmed over four years, this documentary follows the daily lives of Ernie & Stewart Morrow,  Ulster Scots bachelor brothers who farm Oldchurch in Glenarm, Co. Antrim.  It looks as if the 20th century has passed this place by but the brothers are proud and want nothing to do with modern trappings.  Both men never got married, but they do not regret it, as they are very fond of their freedom. When his brother and companion of 75 years dies, Erinie continues to live as he has done for the past eighty years, in an old farmhouse without electricity. Although this film is only around 15 years old it already seems to be from a bygone time and a traditional lifestyle that has all but disappeared.

I like the part where Ernie is talking about his family history: "We are what they call the Scots-Irish.... We are not the full Scotch. A wean of big boys came in (from Scotland). And there were three Morrows came in and they were all over six foot tall. And one went to Co. Down, One went to Co. Antrim and one went to Co. Derry....Three brothers... and that's what brought the Morrows in."

This film is in Ulster-Scots with German subtitles. It's a pity i cant find the English subtitled version, as even those who are familiar with the Ulster-Scots tongue will have difficulty understanding all of this due to the low audio quality.