T7 



Ja7iiiary t 1906. 



Sir James Henderson, A.M.,D.L., Vice-President, in the chair 



ULSTER SAYINGS AND FOLK-LORE. 



By Professor Byers, M.A., M.D. 



(Abstract). 



In this lecture, which was a continuation of a contribution 

 brought before the Society — "Sayings, Proverbs, and Humour of 

 Ulster" — on December 1st, 1903, and since published, Professor 

 Byers discussed first various sayings and folk-lore used in reference 

 to the weather and the seasons. That the Ulsterman can, when 

 provoked, be severe, ironical, and sarcastic, was fully established 

 by a variety of expressions; various phrases employed by him in 

 bargaining were given ; and, finally, examples were brought forward 

 to show that even in Ulster, where the native Celtic element has 

 been much displaced by the English and Scotch settlements, that 

 topsy-turvy method of expression known as a "bull" is just as pre- 

 valent as in any other part of Ireland, and that, curiously, it is 

 sometimes met with among those, otherwise learned and cultivated, 

 as well as amongst the uneducated. The Lecture appeared in a 

 series of articles in the Northern Whig, and will, with additions, 

 be published. 



Mr. William Crawford, in moving a vote of thanks to Pro- 

 fessor Byers, said his lecture was as interesting and full of amuse- 

 ment and charm as the lecture he gave on the same subject on a 

 previous occasion, and he hoped he would find time to give them 

 a third edition. 



Mr. Adam Speers, in seconding the motion, said the lecture 

 was by far the best he had ever listened to on that subject 

 — a subject to which he had himself been giving a good deal of 



