New Ulster-Scots Programming for Leid Week

17 November 2025

NVTV, in partnership with That’s TV, Dublin and Cork Community Television, brings six hours of new Ulster-Scots programming to audiences across Ireland as part of Ulster-Scots Leid Week.

A major new season of programming celebrating Ulster-Scots language, music, and culture will air from Monday 24th to Sunday to 30th November as part of Ulster-Scots Leid Week (Language Week).

Funded by Northern Ireland Screen’s Ulster-Scots Broadcast Fund, the programming will be broadcast on That’s TV (Freeview Channel 7 / Virgin 159) in Northern Ireland, and for the first time on Dublin Community Television (DCTV Virgin 802) and Cork Community Television (CCTV Virgin 803), extending the reach of Ulster-Scots stories to two million households across the island of Ireland. All times can be found in local listings. 

All programming will also be available to stream on NVTV’s Ulster-Scots website at ulsterscots.nvtv.co.uk which includes over 250 programmes celebrating the rich Ulster-Scots cultural traditions of heritage, language, music and storytelling. 

The new season of programmes marks the continuing partnership between NVTV and That’s TV who are committed to sharing authentic local stories and celebrating the cultural diversity of our communities. Through their partnership, now joined by Dublin Community Television and Cork Community Television, Ulster-Scots language and creativity will be showcased to an all-Ireland audience, connecting communities across regions and traditions. 

The support of the Ulster-Scots Broadcast Fund has enabled the creation of new content that celebrates the shared cultural bonds between Ulster, Scotland and America. At the heart of the schedule is the flagship documentary The Man Who Fell into Muttonburn Stream, premiering on Sunday 30th November following a screening at Larne Museum & Arts Centre on Friday 28th November 2025 at 2pm as part of Leid Week. 

The premiere will include a post-screening discussion with the producer Dean Hagan and presenter David Hume, giving attendees a unique insight into the making of the film and the enduring influence of William Hume’s Ulster-Scots voice. 

“Our ongoing partnership with That’s TV, now joined by Dublin and Cork Community Television, gives Ulster-Scots culture a new and exciting platform,” said Dean Hagan from NVTV. “With support from the Ulster-Scots Broadcast Fund, we’re proud to share six hours of new programmes that bring language, landscape and heritage together with The Man Who Fell into Muttonburn Stream as a moving and memorable highlight.” 

The full line-up of NVTV Ulster-Scots Leid Week programmes is: 

Monday 24th November: European Highland Dance 2025

Dance teacher Georgina Kee-McCarter explores how Highland Dancing continues to flourish in Ulster-Scots communities. 

Monday 24th November: Gathering Together

Helen Mark, Iona Fyfe and Anne McMaster celebrate the art of storytelling, song and poetry. 

Monday 24th November: Louise McIlroy Blue Plaque

A special feature celebrating Dame Louise McIlroy, the first woman Professor of Medicine. 

 

Tuesday 25th November: Charlotte Riddell

A reflective portrait of the underappreciated Ulster-Scots novelist on her 193rd birthday. 

Tuesday 25th November: Eva's First Twelfth

Presenter Eva Jackson sixteen and from England, experiences her first 12th of July, discovering the stories and meaning behind the tradition. 

Tuesday 25th November: The Hamely Tongue

A gathering at the Linen Hall Library exploring poetry, humour and the living Ulster-Scots language. 

 

Wednesday 26th November: Fragments of Scotch Language

Maria McManus curates a poetic event featuring Pàdraig MacAoidh and Anne McMaster, exploring shared linguistic roots between Ulster and Scotland. 

 

Thursday 27th & Friday 28th November: Ireland and America: 250th Anniversary (Parts 1 & 2)

A two-part discussion marking 250 years of friendship and cultural connection between Ireland and America. 

 

Sunday 30th November: The Man Who Fell into Muttonburn Stream

This lyrical and reflective film explores how memory, language and landscape intertwine within Ulster-Scots culture. Through rich imagery and poetic narration, the documentary traces connections between family, place and belonging with the stream itself serving as a metaphor for continuity and change. Blending local voices, music and archival material, the film invites viewers to rediscover the Ulster-Scots experience as something both deeply personal and universally human.