16 SATURDAY NOVEMBER 17 2012www.ulsterscotsagency.com
Ulster-Scotthe
The ‘Brave’ storyof CarrickfergusIf you’ve been to the pictures
lately, youmay have seen Disney Pixar’s latestrelease Brave. It
features theadventures of a fictional Scots princessMerida,
daughter of King Fergus, as sheresists her father’s attempts to
forceher into an arranged marriage, whilefighting bears, competing
in theHighland Games and getting intoscrapes with witches and will’
o’ thewisps.
There has been huge interest in Brave, whichincludes the voices
of stars like EmmaThompson, Julie Walters, Billy Connolly andRobbie
Coltrane and it has grossed more than$500million worldwide since
its release.But what you may not know is that Ulster hasits own
story of Scottish royalty, also featuringa real King Fergus.On the
slopes of Knockagh Hill in CountyAntrim lie the almost-forgotten
ruins ofMonkstown Abbey, the place where over 1500years of
tradition say that Fergus, the first Kingof Scotland, was buried
during the 6thCentury.While travelling from Scotland to a healing
well
in Ulster to cure his leprosy, the boat he wassailing in was
shipwrecked on a rock (a carrig)near the entrance to Belfast Lough
and hewas drowned.The rock was forever named carrig Fergus
–Carrickfergus – in his memory, and documentsshow that throughout
the centuries, Scottishpilgrims, royal nobles, respected
historicalsocieties and local people were familiar withthe story of
Fergus, his death at the carrig andhis subsequent burial at
Monkstown Abbey.Little remains of the abbey today, but it waswell
known even in relatively recent times, asthe notes of the Belfast
Field and NaturalistsClub outing June 7 1873 record: “the partyset
off with fresh vigour for Monkstown Abbey,on the south-western
slope of the Knockagh.The fragment of this abbey now remaining isso
small it was with some difficulty found, andconsists of a mere boss
of rude rubblemasonry covered with foliage, and almosthidden from
view. The original structuremeasured about 63 feet by 17 feet. It
washere King Fergus, from whom Carrickfergusderived its name, was
buried ...”King Fergus was believed to be travelling toUlster to
visit a healing well. It is believed thatthis was the well of St
Bride, at Carrickfergus.
ABOVE: King Fergusfrom Disney’s Brave
LEFT: Fergus, the firstKing of Scotland
While there is no trace of the well, it iscommemorated in the
name of St Bride’sStreet in one of the oldest areas of the town.In
the past there was confusion that the wellreferred to was the well
which can still be seenin the Keep of Carrickfergus Castle.
However,that well was built at the same time as thecastle and there
is no record of any activity onthe Rock of Fergus before the castle
was builtby John de Courcy in 1178.King Fergus is revered as the
first King ofScotland, but he also has a very current
royalconnection. Fergus and his two brothersoriginally moved over
to Scotland from Ulsterand it is held that Fergus was crowned King
ofScotland on a sacred stone that he and hisbrothers brought from
Ulster, which was knownas the Stone of Destiny. It is believed that
inlater times that stone was moved to SconeAbbey outside Perth and
the Kings of Scotlandwere crowned there.In 1296, that stone was
seized by the EnglishKing, Edward I, who had it placed in
StSteven’s Throne, which resides in WestminsterAbbey and has been
used in the Coronation ofall British monarchs since that time.
The Ulster-Scots Colouring inCompetition began in June2012 when
copies of thecolouring in sheet weredistributed at the
Queen’sDiamond Jubilee event atStormont.
Competition organisers decidedin early July to extend
thecompetition by distributingcolouring in sheets to the
25community and voluntary groupsholding a Summer School duringJuly
and August.Entries were returned by post tothe Agency’s Belfast
basedoffice on Great Victoria Street –slowly at first, but as
thesummer months passed, entriesbegan to flood in by the dozen.By
the closing date in
September, several hundredentries had been received!Entries were
grouped into fivecategories – age 5 and under, 6– 8 years, 9 – 11
years, 12 –15 years and age 16 and over.With ten Ulster-Scots
goodybags as prizes, two competitionwinners from each age
categoryneeded to be selected.The judging panel, made up ofthree
members of Ulster-ScotsAgency staff; Lyndsey Sullivan,Martina
Morrow and GillianPearson got together to decidethe ten winners and
from theseten, one overall winner. It wasn’tlong before the judges
agreedthat the standard of the entrieswas extremely high
andselecting winners was going tobe harder than they expected.
We’ve got two fabulous Brave DVD and Book gifts sets worth £25
to give away - simply answer this question and email us your
entry.
Q. In the Disney Pixar movie Brave what is the name of Princess
Merida’s father?
Send in your answer and your full name by email putting BRAVE
COMPETITION into the subject line
to:[email protected] for your chance to win.
Good Luck!
Ulster-Scot Competitionthe nn
A Brave DVD & Book Gift SetWeWee’’v’vvee gogottt ttwoo
ffafabbullous BBrave D
Q. In the Disney Pixar movi
Ulster-Scot Comth
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WINCLOSING DATE: MONDAY DECEMBER 3
Emma Barnett’s picture wowed the judgesand was named overall
winner in theUlster-Scots Colouring In competition
Well done to everyone whoentered the Ulster-Scots Agency’s
Colouring in Competition!
Following much discussion,the panel finally agreed on
thefollowing ten winners:
Age 5 and under:Lauren Barnett – Sollus Ulster-Scots Summer
School, BreadyHannah Rankin – Sollus Ulster-Scots Summer School,
Bready
6 – 8 years:Jessica Ralston – LoughriesUlster-Scots Summer
School,NewtownardsEmma Barnett – Sollus Ulster-Scots Summer School,
Bready
9 – 11 years:Katie McAvoy – EdenderryPrimary School,
PortadownBeth McLean – Five Road EndsUlster-Scots Summer
School,Tobermore
12 – 15 years:Shannon Peake – CloughskeltRural and Cultural
AssociationUlster-Scots Summer SchoolRachel Carrigan –
ArdinariffHistorical and Cultural SocietyUlster-Scots Summer
School
Age 16 and over:Sam Arnott – ArtabilityUlster-Scots Summer
SchoolSophie Elliott – ArtabilityUlster-Scots Summer School
The final task for the panel wasthen selecting one overallwinner
from the above tenwinners, an extremely difficultchallenge at
that.Congratulations to EmmaBarnett, from the SollusUlster-Scots
Summer School inBready (Age 8)
SUMMER 2012 COLOURING IN COMPETITION RESULTS
OVERALL
WINNER
WEANS’ WURLD
Carrickfergus was named after King Fergus ofScotland, who
drowned in a shipwreck nearthe entrance to Belfast Lough
