A 360° video series immersing you in the world of Ulster’s Rhyming Weavers – Ulster-Scots poets who flourished over the 18th & 19th Centuries. In this episode we hear about Samuel Turner, an Ulster-Scots poet from the townland of Ballyalbana, in the heart of County Antrim near Ballyclare. An area of forests, rivers and farmland, this place offered a home to many Scottish families who emigrated here over the centuries, bringing with them their faith, folklore and language as they built and thatched their stone cottages, farmed the fields and came together for fairs, markets and worship. Although he is one of the less well-known Rhyming Weavers, Samuel Turner’s work is authentic and ‘The Bard of Ballycorr’ deserves to be better known. Samuel wrote articles, prose and verse which appeared in various publications, the subject matter ranging from folklore to social commentary on the misery of the poor (this was the era of the potato famine); from laments to love songs; from parodies to politics – and reveals how well-read, observant and versatile Turner was. Enjoy a reading of “Leezie McMinn”. Written in August of 1846, it is rich in Ulster-Scots vocabulary but also paints a portrait of a superstitious rural community who believe in the powers of prophecy and consult spae-wives, or fortune tellers, on every occasion. After they cross her palm with silver, she swirls the tealeaves round the cup and reads their fate in the patterns. From the lowest to the highest members of society, young and old, all year round, they come to find out about their fortunes in love; to get an insight into who stole their property; to get a cure for bewitched cattle from this ancient but vital old woman. Produced with the support of Northern Ireland Screen’s Ulster-Scots Broadcast Fund, the series has been filmed using a 360° camera. You can use your mouse (or a VR headset) to look all around you. For best experience, watch using a desktop, laptop, tablet or VR headset.