Stephen Nolan sets out on a journey of discovery looking at his own family tree.
In a new documentary, Ulster-Scots, My Family And Me, Stephen Nolan takes a revealing look at his family tree.
In a journey of discovery, Stephen finds out where his relatives came from, how they lived and some of the challenges they faced.
He explores issues of identity and what they would have meant to his family members down the decades. And he reflects on how people feel about identity in a changing and increasingly multi- cultural Northern Ireland.
Stephen with historian William Roulston.
Stephen investigates how Ulster-Scots influences have shaped aspects of his family’s story. And he gets some expert guidance from historian William Roulston and genealogist Gillian Hunt.
Commenting on the programme, Stephen said:
“This is a deeply personal journey of discovery for me. The process of going back through the generations of my family has given me an incredible insight into the hard lives they lived.
Stephen at his mum's house, in Ulster-Scots, My Family and Me.
Stephen talking with genealogist Gillian Hunt.
“If I’m honest – I’ve never really thought much about those who came before my parents and grandparents, but going back has made me feel more grounded in the past.
“I found it an incredibly moving experience to stand in the same place they did all those years ago. And some of what I discovered was surprising and heart-breaking.”
Ulster-Scots, My Family And Me is A Third Street Studios production made for BBC Northern Ireland with support from Northern Ireland Screen’s Ulster Scots Broadcast Fund.
It is on Monday 21 February on BBC One Northern Ireland at 10.35pm and afterwards on BBC iPlayer.