Ullans Academy Hosts “St Patrick Breakfast” Event
Promoting Common Identity
The St Patrick event promoted ‘Common Identity’ which is the total expression of all the inter-relationships within the island of Ireland, which defines who we are. It creates a sense of belonging. Understanding ‘Common Identity’ will empower all communities to achieve cultural expression and allow freedom of thought, it is plural and inclusive. St Patrick is also the patron saint of Nigeria and we were delighted to welcome representatives of the Nigerian community to share the event with us.
Ahead of the event President Dr Ian Adamson OBE of the Ullans Academy said “St Patrick is only one example of someone who represented Common Christianity which lies at the basis of much of our tradition, based as it is on the old Common Christian Church present in the British Isles centuries before even Patrick arrived in Ireland”
“The ‘St Patrick’s Breakfast’ event aims to improve understanding of one aspect of our rich cultural heritage by presenting a broader perspective of Irish history. The St Patrick event is a ‘breakfast’, as this is how it was celebrated in New York before the American Revolution. It brought people together to share and exchange ideas, something which is still very important for people on the island of Ireland in the 21st century. The event will ensure further development of the Cultural Corridor between the North and South of Ireland” 
“As the Common Sense document says, “It is our firm conviction that the vast majority of both religious communities long for peace, reconciliation and the chance to create a better future for their children. But longing is not enough; there must be a mechanism created to harness the love, generosity, courage and integrity of both religious communities and direct its great power towards the light of a new beginning”. 
That mechanism is Common Identity…
“The Ullans Academy would like to thank the Belfast City Council and Resources Committee, Good Relations sub-committee and the Reconciliation Fund of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade for their support for this event” 
History of the Academy
The Ullans Academy is a company limited by guarantee and Directors work in a voluntary capacity. The board is drawn from the local community and have a wide range of skills and experience in community development, business and academia.
The Ullans name was chosen as it was felt the name was inclusive and plural. It is a neologism combining Ulaidh, the Gaelic name for Ulster and Lallans, the name used by Robert Burns and Robert Louis Stevenson for the Scotch language. It can also be used as an acronym for Ulster Language, Literature And Native Speech, thus encompassing all languages and traditions in Ulster and the island of Ireland. In essence the Ullans name promotes the common identity of all our people.
The Academy was established in 1992 with the idea that bringing people together through their shared cultural heritage would raise awareness of those things that bind us together rather than divide us and thus foster a sense of mutual tolerance and respect. The Academy recognises that much still needs to be done and that it is essential to continue to develop stronger inter-community relationships.
The Academy hosts two annual events to mark St Patrick and St Columbanus. The Academy has recently successfully completed a short series of lectures on key historical topics in Belmont Tower and an Culturlann.