Ulster’s long links with USA celebrated on Fourth of July
35 minutes ago
BBC
Two-and-a-half centuries after the birth of the United States of America, this year’s Fourth of July celebrations are bigger than ever
The 250th anniversary will also see events held further afield than the US, including in Northern Ireland, as “deep-rooted connections” between the two are celebrated
A range of events include exhibitions, cultural showcases and theatre productions have been organised
The US Declaration of Independence was signed on 4 July 1776 and several men from modern-day Northern Ireland played pivotal roles in the historic event
Because of that, Northern Ireland was formally recognised by the America250 Commission, which granted it special status in the semiquincentennial celebrations
In January, the Department for Communities Minister Gordon Lyons announced more than £400k of funding for the celebrations through the USANI250 funding scheme
The Ulster American Folk Park in Omagh will be a focal point, telling the stories of Irish and Ulster-Scots emigrants and their influence on the United States
They include Charles Thompson from Maghera, County Londonderry, who helped draft the declaration, Thomas McKean, whose parents hailed from County Antrim, and who signed the declaration and John Dunlap from Strabane, County Tyrone, who was the printer of the first copies
It is also a birthday for the folk park as it was opened exactly 50 years ago to celebrate the bicentenary anniversary of American independence
In the US millions of people proudly trace their lineage back to Northern Ireland, with many making the pilgrimage to their homeland to retrace the history
One of them, Dylan Myers from California, visited the folk park to find out more about his family history
“My own ancestors immigrated from Brackagh near Derry in 1878 to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,” he said
“I want to learn more about the journey, more about rural Irish life in the 19th century, and just to soak up the history. It’s fantastic.”
John Paul Coyle, the general manager of the Ulster American folk park said the enduring interest in the US, was a “cultural connection”
“I think so many of us have had migration in our families each one of us has somebody who moved to GB or they’ve moved to Canada or to America or to Australia so it’s a story that resonates with each and every one of us,” he said
“I think that’s what makes that connection so unique
“Also, the cultural links from food and music and stories between ourselves and the United States is just so intrinsically linked”
The park, which hosts thousands of American visitors every year, has a packed programme of events to mark the America250 celebrations
While the official US celebrations will peak on 4 July, the celebrations at the folk park are scheduled to run until the end of August
In County Down a dramatisation of the events of 250 years ago has been written by playwright Jonathan Burgess, along with the Schomberg Society, to tell the story of the Kilkeel connections to American independence
Tha Lang Road Tae Liberty follows a family emigrating to the US for a better life
The play is performed by 68 pupils from Kilkeel Primary School who act, sing and perform the story of the Wilson family through the ages
Rosie McClelland directed the “historically correct” play
“The best thing that I found was doing the show is how the children have realised that it was a true story and how amazed they were that such influential people in history came from their own little town of Kilkeel,” she said
In the audience was Lisa Guyselman from Carolina, whose ancestor Alexander Chesney was depicted on stage
He fought in the American War of Independence as a loyalist to the crown and so was on the losing side
“The [American] loyalist side of the story is not told but what’s amazing about American history is that it’s also Ulster-Scots history,” she said
“So I love that this programme is putting on both sides of the Ulster Scots debate.”
Ms Guyselman is the first member of her family to visit Northern Ireland to retrace her ancestry
“It is such a blessing to be back here it’s such a beautiful community and the preservation of the history here is so important to our family,” she said
“These stories are incredible they link us across the ocean so this is really special.”
US Declaration of Independence goes on display
Ulster Folk Museum to be ‘reawakened’ with £50m investment
‘Intertwined histories’ to be celebrated in USA’s 250th birthday year
United States
Northern Ireland
