42 Professor Byers on 



sympathy, pugnacity, and ready wit of the native Irishman. The 

 characteristics of a race so constituted find expression in the 

 quaint sayings, proverbs, and humour of the people of the Northern 

 Province of Ireland, which are inspired more by a shrewd obser- 

 vation of men and nature than by mere book-learning. They are 

 met with in their most pronounced form, in the country districts 

 as distinguished from the towns, and the clergy and the medical 

 profession who are brought into intimate relationship with the 

 people hear them most frequently. 



The explanation of some of these sayings is at times difficult, 

 and, as examples, the following were discussed : — " The rale 

 M'Kay," "A Morgan Rattler," " Tibb's Eve," and "Paying on 

 the Nail." A large variety of other phrases and proverbs having 

 been considered, attention was called to the folk-lore, superstition, 

 and fairy-lore of Ulster, and illustrations were given from the 

 writings of " Moira O'Neill," Allingham, W. S. Drennan, as well 

 as from personal observation. 



Various " omens " were mentioned, the " Banshee " was discussed 

 as well as terms and phrases used, indicating the power of 

 observation possessed by the Ulster race. 



Finally, reference was made to the " Humour " of the Northern 

 Province of Ireland, which differs from that of the South in not 

 being so apparent and spontaneous, and not so topsy-turvy ; it 

 was of a drier kind, but at the same time could be as sparkling as 

 that met with in any other part of the country. One feature 

 about the Northern humour was that while it is not so much on 

 the surface and in many cases was not so evidently prepared 

 beforehand as is found in the South of Ireland it is not so readily 

 exhausted. In driving through Dublin the jarvey will at once 

 when you mount his vehicle fire off some humourous saying ; in 

 the North of Ireland, the carman, on the contrary, waits until you 

 draw it out of him by some remark, but while the carman in the 

 South shows by the twinkle in his eye that he is amusing you, his 

 Northern confrere never exhibits by any emotional evidence that 

 he is poking fun at you. Examples were given to illustrate the 

 Ulster Humour. 



