Ulster Vernacularities: Interdisciplinary Perspectives

John Wilson Foster is a Canadian and Irish writer and scholar.  He was born and reared in Belfast, Northern Ireland and graduated in English, philosophy, and social anthropology from Queen’s University. He earned his doctorate in English in the United States at the University of Oregon, Eugene. He spent his teaching and research career at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada, and is now a freelance writer and honorary research professor at Queen’s University, Belfast.

Foster was elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in 2010. The John Wilson Foster archive is at Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia. His biography appears in Modern Irish Lives: Dictionary of 20th-century Biography (1996), ed. Louis McRedmond, Contemporary Authors (Thompson Gale, 2007),  and Canadian Who\'s Who (Grey House, 2011).

Shirin Murphy is Heritage Officer at Carrickfergus Museum, Mid and East Antrim Borough Council and has eighteen years’ experience in curatorial roles within local authority museums. Her current role involves developing exhibitions, learning programmes, and other activities that highlight the museum collections and promotes the wider heritage of Carrickfergus and surrounding area. Her key interest is in bringing lesser-known histories to light and enabling local communities to participate and engage with their own heritage.

Shirin is on the committee of the Carrickfergus & District Historical Society and is a town representative on the management committee of the Irish Walled Towns Network. She has also joined the Board of Directors at Positive Carrickfergus, a community interest company that seeks to build community, promote community-led regeneration and increase civic participation.

Joe Mahon started his career as a schoolteacher, teaching English and History. He went on to work on BBC Radio Foyle as a contributor before becoming a producer, later becoming manager of Radio Foyle, before moving to TV. He worked at the BBC and then took up a post with independent production company Northland Films. Joe is best known as the presenter and producer of Lesser Spotted Ulster, Lesser Spotted Journeys and Ulster Giants.

Mark has worked in the design, advertising and communications sector in Northern Ireland for 30 years since graduating from the University of Ulster’s Belfast campus with BA (Hons) Design Visual Communication in 1994.

In June 2005 Mark was appointed as part-time Chair of the Ulster-Scots Agency, and completed a four year term in June 2009, after which he was appointed by DCAL to the Ulster-Scots Academy Project Steering Group from July 2009 - March 2011. He was a founder member of the Ulster-Scots Broadcast Fund committee of Northern Ireland Screen, serving from November 2010 - August 2012.

Mark was persuaded into broadcasting and has co-presented various cultural programmes on BBC Northern Ireland such as the series ‘Hame’, ‘Walkin Hame’, and documentaries such as ‘Whiskey Talkin’, ‘Ards TT: Race to Disaster’ and ‘Talkin Tay’. He has also been interviewed in, and been consultant for, a range of other programmes.

Eamonn Devlinn and Gerard Stratton are at the heart of Triplevision Productions, an ambitious disabled-led independent production company based in the heart of West Belfast.

​We are creative story-tellers who aim to produce compelling documentary content in factual, specialist factual and factual entertainment genres for UK and International markets.

We make authentic, powerful, thought-provoking films that connect with audiences in an emotional way and on a global level. We specialise in gaining unique access to challenging stories in distinct territories, and are widely respected for building trust with our contributors through a down to earth, warm and sensitive approach.

We aim to promote the next generation of filmmakers, having strong relationships with local universities and colleges, and we are committed to increasing diversity in TV, being proudly partnered with 1in5 – a Social Enterprise dedicated to developing digital content from disabled creatives.

Dr Niall Comer is a lecturer in Irish and Translation studies in Ulster University, Magee Campus. And Course Director, MA Translation Studies.  President, Conradh na Gaeilge, 1 Feb 2016 - 1 Feb 2022; former President, Comhaltas Uladh; board member, Comhairle na Gaelscolaíochta, and committee member of the Irish Language Broadcast Fund with Northern Ireland Screen.

Fiona started her television career in Belfast, working on both regional and network projects with DBA TV, one of NI\'s first independent production companies. After producing dramas and gaining further experience in Canada she joined RTE in Dublin where she worked as Producer/Director across the range of the station\'s output.  Since returning to NI in 2003 she has worked with the BBC, NI Screen and a number of local companies, producing, writing and directing projects for BBC NI, BBC Scotland, RTE, TG4, CBBC, CBEEBIES, Children\'s Television Workshop and PBS. Fiona is BBC Northern Ireland’s Commissioning Executive (Ulster-Scots).