Where to begin - Discover Northern Ireland

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www.discovernorthernireland.com
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Introduction
In the 1960s the renowned American novelist John Steinbeck visited the home of his ancestors near Limavady,
County Londonderry. His grandfather, Samuel Hamilton, had journeyed on an emigrant ship to America,
eventually settling in California. Steinbeck’s visit had a profound impact upon him – “I feel related” he said ,
finding the people were like his mother’s brothers “in complexion and character – talented and contentious”.
He spoke for many Scots Irish, then and still today, when he said of his ancestors’ home, “that’s the seat of
my culture and the origin of my being and the soil of my background.”
Today it is estimated that forty million Americans are of Irish origin and of these well over half are like John
Steinbeck, Scots Irish to their core.
1641
Rebellion starts
resulting in death of
many planters
1606
Settlement of
Scots in Ards
Peninsula
1603
Treaty of Mellifont
- ends Nine Years
War
1600
1689
Siege and relief of
Derry
1665
1690
The Presbyterian
William of Orange
Church emerges as
lands at
a distinct
Carrickfergus and
denomination
defeats James II at
Battle of the Boyne
1610
Plantation of
Ulster commences
1605
Early 1700s
French Hugenots
escaping
persecution settle
in Lisburn County
Antrim
1610
1490
1600
1492
Columbus
discovers America
1607
First permanent
English settlement
in America
1650
1660
1610
1685
1690
1620
17
25
pe
S
m
1700
1665
1620
Puritans on ‘The
Mayflower’ land in
New England
1608
French colonists
found Quebec
1664
New Amsterdam
taken from Dutch
by English renamed New York
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The Plantation
The Scots Irish were planted in the northernmost counties of Ireland in the early part of the 17th century.
The original concept of planting Ulster was undoubtedly an English idea. The early negotiations and
preparations were drafted by the London Livery Companies and in 1610 lands confiscated from the native Irish
were planted by settlers from lowland Scotland. Prior to this the Scots had for centuries been drifting back
and forward to the eastern counties of Antrim and Down across the narrow straits (just twenty one miles at
one point) which separate Northern Ireland and Scotland. The lowland Scots found their own homeland
overcrowded and needed the space and the opportunity to live and worship as they pleased. The chance to
settle on lands in Ulster was one to be seized with both hands - even if that meant having to work “with the
sworde in one hand and the Axe in thother”.
As the Scots settled on Irish shores they were in constant danger of attack from the native Irish. It was during
this time that the strong, determined character of the Scots Irish was formed.
ots
1717-1775
250,000 Ulster
people, mainly of
Scottish descent,
migrate to America
0
1845
Beginning of Great
Famine. By 1848,
1 million people
emigrate
1798
Rebellion led by
Presbyterians in
Ulster who were
defeated
ttle
nty
1750
1800
1837
Queen Victoria
comes to throne
1840
1916
Easter Rising in
Dublin
1920 Government
of Ireland Act Northern Ireland
formed
Battle of Somme is
fought
1845
1915
1916
1920
NorthernIreland
USA
65
1770
1775
1860
1768
Cook begins
exploration of
Pacific
m
ch
ork
1865
1863
Slavery abolished in
USA
1776
American
Declaration of
Independence
1861 -1865
American Civil War
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Scots Irish Americans who hope to
retrace the steps of their ancestors
can do so with ease in Northern
Ireland. There are fantastic visitor
attractions throughout the province
which bring to light the history of The
Plantation and evoke a sense of the
Scots Irish spirit.
In the City of Derry you can walk the only complete
walled city in Ireland. It was here that many of the
Scots Irish suffered in the renowned Siege of Derry in
1689. The Siege had much in common with that of the
Alamo in Texas whose defenders were led by the Scots
Irish General Davy Crockett and Sam Houston. There are
colourful re-enactments of the history of The Siege
during The Maiden City Festival, an annual event which
takes place in Londonderry in August.
St Columb’s Cathedral, the first Protestant Cathedral to
be built in Ireland after the Reformation, is located on
the edge of the city walls. It is home to many historical
relics of The Siege, including the locks and keys of the
original four city gates.
The Guildhall, built by the London Companies in 1887
and now Londonderry’s civic and cultural centre, is open
to the public. It houses one of the largest collections of
stained glass windows of any building in Ireland which
illustrate much of the city’s history.
For further information about The Maiden City Festival,
contact the event organisers on +44 (0) 28 7134 9250 or
visit the festival website: www.maidencityfestival.com
The Guildhall, Londonderry
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Springhill House
At Springhill House in Moneymore, County
Londonderry, the architecture of this
Plantation dwelling seems to hold its ‘arms’
outstretched to welcome visitors. This
National Trust property was once the home of
the Conynghams, a Planter family, who lived
there for ten generations. ‘Good’ Will
Conyngham played an important part during The
Siege of Derry and his blunderbuss, flintlocks and
other firearms still hang in the gun room of the
house.
An earlier example of Plantation architecture can be
found at Bellaghy Bawn. The ‘bawn’, a fortified
enclosure typical of the Plantation era, was erected in
1618 by Sir Baptist Jones who also built the town of
Vintnerstown (now Bellaghy). The original Bawn was
burnt to the ground in the 1641 rebellion, when settlers
and residents of Bellaghy village were brought inside its
walls to protect them from native Irish rebels. It was rebuilt
in 1643.
awn
ghy B
Bella
t
a
ion
ollect
ney C
a
e
H
s
eamu
The S
Bellaghy Bawn has the added attraction of displaying the
original working papers of the much loved, Nobel Prize winning
poet, Seamus Heaney who has written so evocatively about
growing up around Bellaghy.
St Columb’s Cathedral
The Guildhall from the city walls
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Enniskillen Castle
Castle Archdale Country Park
Belleek Pottery
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More evidence of the Plantation unfolds among the rolling
landscape of County Fermanagh. Enniskillen Castle was once
the stronghold of the Maguires in the 16th century. It houses
a number of displays including those dedicated to two
regiments – the 6th Inniskilling Dragoons and the Royal
Inniskilling Fusiliers. These were founded in the late 17th
century to support the cause of William III, when the Castle
became an English garrison fort. The Museum at Enniskillen
Castle displays the uniforms and regalia of these regiments
and it is also widely believed that their signature marching
tune inspired ‘The Star Spangled Banner’, America’s National
Anthem.
At Castle Archdale the picturesque ruins of the original
Plantation Castle still stand as a fine example of the
architectural design of the period. The 17th century Monea
Castle, built by Gustavus Hamilton, is an interesting ruin as
are the remains of old Castle Crom, built in 1611 by the
Scottish Planter Michael Balfour. Nearby there’s much to
amuse and delight at the historic Belleek Pottery Visitors
Centre.
Unlike the Conynghams and the Hamiltons, most folk lived in
very simple thatched cottages. Good examples may be seen
at the Ulster American Folk Park in Omagh and the Ulster
Folk and Transport Museum at Cultra, near Belfast. Ironically,
some of the best examples of these traditional dwellings are
in the Presidential homesteads. It was life in these simple
cottages that ordinary people left behind in search of the
promise of a new land.
Ulster American
Folk Park, Omagh
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The great migration of the Scots Irish, which began in 1717 from the
northernmost counties of Ireland, is a significant chapter of the Irish story.
Like the mass emigration which followed during the Great Famine of the
19th century, America became the destination for thousands of Irish
emigrants.
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In the early 18th century almost 250,000 people from the north of
Ireland, mostly of Scots Irish descent, left their Irish homeland in
search of a new life in North America. Religious persecution and
economic and social deprivation instigated this westward
movement, and so began the emigration trail across the Atlantic.
In May 1717 ‘The Friends Goodwill’ left Larne harbour in County Antrim for Boston
with 52 passengers on board. The ship arrived four months later. In Larne a statue
stands in Curran Park which conveys the nature of these original emigrants – the
mother in the group carries a Bible and the young boy is carrying his shoes in the
hope of ‘Red Letter Days’ ahead when he may wear them.
A year later Reverend James McGregor, who fought at the Siege of Derry, led five
ship loads of passengers from Londonderry, Macosquin, Aghadowey and Coleraine.
They settled in New Hampshire and named their settlement New Londonderry with
other settlements named Londonderry, Derry, Antrim and Hillsborough, also founded
nearby.
In the same summer Reverend James Woodside led over 100 Scots Irish emigrants to
America. They also arrived in Boston having sailed on the good ship ‘McCallom’.
On board the ship at the Ulster
American Folk Park
Of the 442 vessels which advertised sailings from the Northern Irish ports to America
in the third quarter of the 18th century, 33% left Belfast, 25% left Londonderry, 20%
left Newry, 14% left Larne and 8% left Portrush. Agents for the various ships
scoured towns seeking likely recruits for the voyage. As you drive through the small
market towns of Northern Ireland today it is still possible to picture the scene of
these ‘super salesmen’ holding out the prospect of a land of milk and honey to
people in the local market place.
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4th July Celebrations, Ulster American Folk Park
Charles McKenzie, Master of the ship ‘Peace
and Plenty’ which sailed to Philadelphia and
New York, visited Ballynahinch, Lisburn and
Ballymena in search of emigrants. The
masters of the ‘Newry Assistance’ and the
‘Minerva’ both bound for Philadelphia from
Newry visited between them Coalisland and
Cookstown in County Tyrone, Banbridge,
Rathfriland and Dromore in County Down
and Castledawson in County Londonderry.
By the time of the first United States
National census in 1790, the Scots Irish were
America’s second largest ethnic population.
When Washington became the first
President it is estimated that those of Scots
Irish ancestry living in the United States was
one quarter of a million Americans.
The Ulster American Folk Park near Omagh,
County Tyrone is the largest museum of
emigration in Europe. It has recreated a full
size ship and dockside gallery similar to
those that carried thousands of emigrants
across the Atlantic. The Folk Park also
houses an indoor exhibition entitled
‘Emigrants.’ It is sited close to the Centre for
Migration Studies, a must-see location for
anyone, which tells the story of over 200
years of emigration from Ulster to North
America.
The Ulster Folk and Transport Museum at Cultra, County Down was
voted Northern Ireland Museum of the Year 2005. It holds unique
material about emigration including passenger lists and houses a
collection of material relating to Ulster’s maritime history. Many valuable
and unique artefacts from the infamous ship, The Titanic built by Harland
& Wolff in Belfast, are also on display here.
When the emigrants reached America’s east coast, this odyssey continued
westward, just like the Scottish Planters 100 years earlier. President
Theodore Roosevelt once said that the Scots Irish were, “the kernel of the
distinctively and intensely American stock who were the pioneers of our
people on their march westward.”
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Where to begin
Both periods of emigration from Ireland in the 18th and
19th centuries have resulted in millions of people
worldwide claiming at least partial Irish descent. It’s no
surprise that many people are keen to trace their
ancestors back to their Irish homeland and gain a deeper
insight into their histories.
Genealogical research can be a challenging enterprise, so it’s best to be
as prepared as possible for all eventualities. Getting in touch with the
right organisations can make your searches a little easier. The following
listing should aid your journey through your personal history by
providing you with contact details for all relevant genealogical centres
and organisations in Northern Ireland.
Armagh Ancestry
38A English Street
Armagh
BT61 7BA
Tel: +44 (0)28 3752 1802
Fax: +44 (0)28 3751 0180
Email: [email protected]
www.visitarmagh.com
Association of Ulster Genealogists &
Record Agents (AUGRA)
c/o The Secretary
Glen Cottage
Glenmachan Road
Belfast BT4 2NP
Email: [email protected]
www.augra.com
Banbridge Genealogy Services
c/o Banbridge Gateway Tourist Information
Centre
200 Newry Road
Banbridge
BT32 3NB
Tel: +44 (0)28 4062 6369
Fax: +44 (0)28 4062 3114
Email: [email protected]
www.banbridgegenealogy.com
Belfast Family History Centre
403 Holywood Road
Belfast
BT4 2GU
Tel: +44 (0)28 90769839
Opening hours: Wed & Thurs, 10am-4pm,
Sat: 9am-1pm
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Please telephone in advance for
opening times or to arrange an
appointment if required.
Centre for Migration Studies
Ulster American Folk Park
Mellon Road
Castletown
Omagh
BT78 5QY
Tel: +44 (0)28 8225 6315
Fax: +44 (0)28 8224 2241
Email: [email protected]
www.qub.ac.uk/cms
Derry Genealogy Centre
10 Craft Village
Shipquay Street
Derry
BT48 6AR
Tel: +44 (0) 28 7126 9792
Fax: + 44 (0) 28 7136 0921
General Register Office
Oxford House
49/55 Chichester Street
Belfast
BT1 4HL
Tel: +44 (0) 28 9025 2000
Fax: +44 (0) 28 9025 2120/2121
www.groni.gov.uk
Irish Genealogy Limited
www.irishgenealogy.ie
Email: [email protected]
Irish World Family History Services
Family History Suite
51 Dungannon Road
Coalisland
BT71 4HP
Tel: +44 (0)28 8774 6065
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.irish-world.com
North of Ireland Family History Society
c/o Graduate School of Education
Queen’s University
69 University Street
Belfast
BT7 1HL
(NB. This is a collecting address for mail only )
www.nifhs.org
Email: [email protected]
Presbyterian Historical Society
Church House
Fisherwick Place
Belfast
BT1 6DW
Tel:+44 (0)28 9032 2284
www.presbyterianireland.org
Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI)
66 Balmoral Avenue
Belfast
BT9 6NY
Tel: +44 (0)28 9025 5905
Fax: +44 (0)28 9025 5999
Email: [email protected]
www.proni.gov.uk
Society of Genealogists Northern Ireland
Email: [email protected]
www.sgni.net
Ulster Historical Foundation
Balmoral Building
12 College Square East
Belfast
BT1 6DD
Tel: +44 (0)28 9033 2288
Fax: +44 (0)28 9023 9885
Email: [email protected]
www.ancestryireland.com
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6 Day Tour Guide
Ulster Folk & Transport Museum
The Giant’s Causeway
Now that you have unearthed your ancestral
roots in Northern Ireland, why not take a few
days to discover the sights and sounds of the
region. From ancient castles and defensive city
walls, to the rural farmsteads which were the
ancestral homesteads of many US Presidents,
Northern Ireland is truly a place apart.
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Belfast City Hall
Enniskillen Castle
Our 6 Day Tour begins in the Capital City of Belfast, the
industrial centre which produced the Titanic and the
Nomadic, two infamous ocean liners built by Harland and
Wolff. Visit the many museums and galleries in the city,
or why not start researching your family tree?
Leaving Belfast behind, take Days 2 and 3 to follow the
Causeway Coastal Route and visit dramatic castle ruins
such as Dunluce and Carrickfergus. You’ll also pass the
legendary Giants Causeway, a UNESCO World Heritage
site, which you will certainly know about!
Day 1
BELFAST
Ulster Museum
Botanic Gardens, Belfast
Co. Antrim
Tel: + 44 (0)28 9038 3000
www.ulstermuseum.org.uk
Ulster Folk & Transport
Museum
Cultra, Holywood, Co. Down
Tel: +44 (0)28 9042 8428
www.uftm.org.uk
Public Record Office of
Northern Ireland (PRONI)
66 Balmoral Avenue
Belfast BT9 6NY
Tel: +44 (0)28 9025 5905
Fax: +44 (0)28 9025 5999
Email: [email protected]
www.proni.gov.uk
Ulster Historical Foundation
Balmoral Building
12 College Square East
Belfast BT1 6DD
Tel: +44 (0)28 9033 2288
Fax: +44 (0)28 9023 9885
Email: [email protected]
www.ancestryireland.com
Belfast City Hall
Belfast, Co. Antrim
www.belfastcity.gov.uk
Tel: +44 (0)28 9032 0202
Day 2
CAUSEWAY
COASTAL ROUTE
Carrickfergus Castle
Marine Highway,
Carrickfergus, Co. Antrim
Tel: +44 (0)28 9335 1273
www.ehsni.gov.uk
Andrew Jackson Centre
2 Boneybefore, Carrickfergus,
Co. Antrim
Tel: +44 (0)28 9335 8049
www.carrickfergus.org
Emigration Memorial
Curran Park, Larne, Co. Antrim
Tel: +44 (0)28 2826 0088
www.larne.gov.uk
Arthur Cottage
Dreen, Cullbackey, Co. Antrim
Tel: +44 (0)28 2563 8494
www.ballymena.gov.uk
Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge
c/o 119a Whitepark Road
Ballintoy
Co. Antrim
Tel: +44 (0)28 2073 1582
www.nationaltrust.org.uk
Day 3
CAUSEWAY
COASTAL ROUTE
The Giant’s Causeway
Causeway Road, Bushmills,
Co. Antrim
Tel: +44 (0)28 2073 1855
www.giantscausewaycentre.com
Old Bushmills Distillery
2 Distillery Road, Bushmills,
Co. Antrim
Tel: +44 (0)28 2073 3224
Web: www.bushmills.com
Dunluce Castle
Portrush, Co. Antrim
Tel: +44 (0)28 2073 1938
www.ehsni.gov.uk
Bonamargy Friary
Ballycastle
Co. Antrim
www.moyle-council.org
+44 (0)28 2076 2225
Carrickfergus Castle
Arthur Cottage, Cullybackey
Day 4 of our Tour begins in the Walled City of Derry,
besieged for 105 days in 1689. Why not walk the walls,
the best preserved in Ireland, or visit the numerous
cultural sites which tell the story of this historic city.
Explore the west of the province on Days 5 and 6.
Starting from Omagh on Day 5, visit the largest centre of
emigration in Europe, the Ulster American Folk Park.
Overnight in Enniskillen and spend your last day
discovering the wealth of historic houses and castles in
County Fermanagh.
Day 4
WALLED CITY OF
DERRY
Walled City Walking Tour
Derry Visitor & Convention
Bureau
44 Foyle Street, Londonderry
Tel: +44 (0)28 7126 7284
www.derryvisitor.com
The Guildhall
Guildhall Square, City of Derry
Co. Londonderry
Tel: +44 (0)28 7137 7335
www.derrycity.gov.uk
St Columb’s Cathedral
City of Derry
Co. Londonderry
Tel: +44 (0)28 7126 7284
www.derryvisitor.com
Springhill House
20 Springhill Road,
Moneymore, Magherafelt, Co.
Londonderry
Tel: +44 (0)28 8674 8210
www.nationaltrust.org.uk
Bellaghy Bawn
Castle Street, Bellaghy, Co.
Londonderry
Tel: +44 (0)28 7938 6812
www.ehsni.gov.uk
President Grant Ancestral
Homestead
Dergenagh, Ballygawley Road
Dungannon, Co. Tyrone
Tel: +44 (0)28 8555 7133
www.dungannon.gov.uk
Day 6
FERMANAGH
LAKELANDS
President Wilson Ancestral
Homestead
28 Spout Road, Dergalt,
Strabane, Co. Tyrone
Tel: +44 (0)28 7138 2204
www.strabanedc.com
Enniskillen Castle
Castle Barracks, Enniskillen,
Co. Fermanagh
Tel: +44 (0)28 6632 5000
www.enniskillencastle.co.uk
Gray’s Printing Press
Main Street, Strabane,
Co. Tyrone
Tel: +44 (0)28 7138 2204
www.strabanedc.com
Castle Archdale
Castle Archdale Country Park,
Irvinestown, Co. Fermanagh
Tel: +44 (0)28 6862 1588
www.ehsni.gov.uk
Day 5
THE SPERRINS
TRAIL
The Ulster American Folk
Park
Castletown, Omagh,
Co. Tyrone
Tel: +44 (0)28 8224 3292
www.folkpark.com
Monea Castle
Enniskillen
Co. Fermanagh
+44 (0)28 6632 3110
Castle Coole
Enniskillen
Co. Fermanagh
+44 (0)28 6632 2690
www.nationaltrust.org.uk
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The
Scots Irish
made an enormous
contribution to American life with
no clearer example than their involvement in
American politics. 15 Presidents of the United States
have Scots Irish origin - 4 of those have direct links to
Northern Ireland today as their ancestral homesteads can be
found throughout the province. The Declaration of
Independence is of equal significance to the Scots Irish story many of the signatories on the document could claim Scots Irish
descent. The impact of these people on their new country was
undoubtedly momentous.
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The Declaration of Independence
The original draft of the first
Declaration of Independence
was drawn up by Charles
Thomson, Secretary of the
First Continental Congress.
Thomson, from Upperlands,
County Londonderry,
emigrated to America in
1739. As a boy he entered
the Academy of Doctor
Francis Allison, a renowned
teacher of New London
Pennsylvania. Within a few
years he was running his own
school before moving to
Philadelphia where he
befriended Benjamin Franklin.
He became an organiser and
an agitator for the cause of
American independence.
On July 4th 1776 the original
Declaration of Independence
was signed by only two
people – Charles Thomson as
Secretary and John Hancock
as President of the
Continental Congress.
Hancock and Thomson took
the signed Declaration to
John Dunlap, a Philadelphia
printer who produced 500
typed signed copies which
were distributed to the
members of Congress and the
King of England. The actual
original signed document
itself was lost in what has
been described as the ‘Fever
of Freedom’.
John Dunlap a native of
Strabane, County Tyrone is
remembered as the first
printer of the Declaration of
Independence. Dunlap also
founded the first daily
newspaper in America – The
Pennsylvania Packet.
Dunlap learned his trade at
Gray’s Printing Press in
Strabane where James
Wilson, the grandfather of
President Woodrow Wilson
also learned the printing
trade. Now owned by the
National Trust, Gray’s Printing
Press is an icon of Strabane’s
18th century reputation as
Ireland’s capital of publishing
and is open to the public.
On 2nd August 1776 the
delegates returned to
Philadelphia to sign a newly
prepared Declaration of
Independence and for some
reason Thomson was not
asked to sign. This document
contained nine Scots Irish
signatories amongst the 56
people who signed it.
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‘Old Hickory’
The President’s earliest ancestor, Richard Jackson, settled
in Coleraine, County Londonderry in 1639. Two of
Richard’s uncles – Thomas and Robert had settled at
Loughgall and the Birches, County Armagh 30 years
earlier with Robert being the ancestor of the great Civil
War Confederate, General Thomas Jonathan “Stonewall”
Jackson. A plaque to his forbearers is located at the
Birches and there are many Jackson graves to be found
at the nearby Tartaraghan graveyard.
Andrew Jackson’s grandfather was a weaver and a
merchant from Carrickfergus and the President’s father
was a farmer from County Antrim. He married Elizabeth
Hutchinson and had two small children in Northern
Ireland. In 1765 he emigrated to America and made his
way to the Waxhaw region between the North and South
Carolina border. Shortly after arriving, Jackson senior
died leaving his wife with two small boys to rear and
pregnant with the future President.
Elizabeth Hutchinson Jackson was a remarkable woman
of strong character from whom Andrew also inherited his
red hair and his blue eyes. Andrew was described as
“having piercing blue eyes, face as long as a Lurgan
Spade, high shock of red hair, and lonely resolution.“
He was known as Old Hickory because he was a strong
minded man who was as “tough as old boots”.
At Boneybefore, the Andrew Jackson Centre sits within
view of the well preserved Carrickfergus Castle. The
house is a traditional thatched farmhouse built in the
1750s and stands near the site of the original Jackson
homestead. Andrew Jackson’s life as a lawyer,
congressman, senator, judge, Indian fighter, Major
General and President is portrayed in an exhibition inside
the cottage.
For more information:
Boneybefore, Carrickfergus, Antrim BT38 7AB
Website: www.carrickfergus.org Email: [email protected] Tel: +44 (0)28 9335 8049
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John Simpson, the President’s great grandfather, set out
from the townland of Dergenagh near Dungannon in 1768
to join the mass exodus of Scots Irish to the American
colonies. Years later in 1821 his granddaughter Hannah, a
native of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania married Jesse
Root Grant who was a tanner by trade. Their son was
named Hiram Ulysses Grant. ‘Ulysses Simpson’ was an
office error which occurred when Grant was a student at
West-Point. The name caught on and Grant, who didn’t
care for the name ‘Hiram’, didn’t object. It remained with
him for his lifetime and both Grant’s son and grandson
were named Ulysses Simpson Grant.
Before the Civil War, Grant had enjoyed a mixed
reputation as a soldier although he was commended for
his distinguished gallantry during the Mexican War by no
less a personage than Major (later to become Confederate
General) Robert Edward Lee.
Lee could little guess that this junior officer would
become the Commanding General of the Union Army, and
that it would be to him that Lee would surrender at the
end of the Civil War on April 9th 1865 at Appomattox
Courthouse, Virginia.
Shortly after his second Presidential term in January 1879,
Grant visited Londonderry, Coleraine, Ballymena and
Belfast. He felt strongly about his Northern Irish roots
and expressed his sense of being ‘at home’.
Today President Grant’s Ancestral Homestead at
Dergenagh is open to the public and preserved in its
original style. It houses an exhibition about the victorious
Civil War General who was also a two term President. The
Interpretative Centre also displays an exhibition on the life
of the agricultural inventor Cyrus McCormick whose
ancestors were neighbours of the Simpson family.
For more information:
Dergenagh, Ballygawley, County Tyrone
Website: www.flavouroftyrone.com Email: [email protected] Tel: +44 (0)28 8776 7259
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Chester Alan Arthur’s father, William, was born in 1796 in
the village of Cullybackey just outside Ballymena. He
graduated from Belfast College and emigrated to Durham,
Quebec in 1815.
The future President was born on October 5th 1829 at the
parsonage in North Fairfield, Vermont. He studied law at
Ballston Spa, New York and taught for a time, becoming
Principal of an Academy before being admitted to the Bar
in 1854.
Since President Arthur’s wife did not live to see her
husband enter the White House, his sister Mary McElroy
acted as First Lady. In 1882 she visited the old Arthur
homestead and met family members still living in the
district. She was accompanied by the President’s son Chester Alan Arthur Junior.
Arthur Cottage the homestead still preserves the lifestyle
of the Arthur family in the 1700s. It is constructed of local
materials and is in perfect harmony with its surroundings.
The walls, constructed of local stone, are almost two feet
thick in places and the bog oak beams and earthen floored
cottage in front of the turf fire were built with simple
locally available materials.
Alongside this ancestral home is an Interpretive Centre
relating to the President’s life and times and there are
various craft sessions during the open season – baking,
lace making and patchwork. There are also Irish evenings
with musicians and story tellers regaling visitors with the
history and culture of the area.
For more information:
Dreen, Cullybackey, Ballymena, County Antrim
Website: www.ballymena.gov.uk Email: [email protected] Tel: +44 (0)28 2563 8494
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Thomas Woodrow Wilson’s grandfather, James Wilson,
emigrated from Strabane to Philadelphia in 1807,
eventually settling in 1815 in Steubenville Ohio. Shortly
after this he became editor of the Western Herald and
Steubenville Gazette having learned his trade at Gray’s
Printing Press, Strabane. He joined the Democratic Party
and was elected to the State Legislature. Later he
became an Associate Judge of the Court of Common
Pleas.
The President’s father, Joseph Ruggles Wilson, was a
Presbyterian Minister and Thomas Woodrow was born in
December1856 in the Presbyterian Manse in Staunton
Virginia. Later the family were to move further south to
the State of Georgia. Even though his Presidency
stretched well into the 20th century Woodrow Wilson’s
earliest impressions were of the American Civil War. His
personal papers reveal “my first recollection is of
standing at my father’s gateway in Augusta, Georgia,
when I was four years old hearing someone pass and say
Mr Lincoln was elected and there was going to be a
war.”
Wilson was an original thinker and once said, “It is not
men that interest or disturb me primarily; it is ideas.
Ideas live; men die.”
In 1886 Wilson spoke with pride of his Northern Irish
roots when he addressed his Scots-Irish ‘cousins’ in
America – “we believe as you do that we really made this
country.”
The Wilson Homestead in County Tyrone from which
James emigrated is situated a short distance from
Strabane at Dergalt, on the Plumbridge Road. The house
where the President’s father lived when he worked in
Gray’s Printing Press is furnished as it was in the early
19th century. The main room is the kitchen and the
focal point of this space is the open turf fire. The stories
that young Woodrow heard at his father’s knee were
passed down the years, many were family folk tales told
from this hearth .
For more information:
28 Spout Road, Dergalt, Strabane, County Tyrone BT82 8NB
Website: www.strabanedc.com Tel: +44 (0)28 7138 2204
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Culinary Crossover
The westward movement of the Scots Irish across the
Atlantic has resulted in many tangible cultural
connections between Northern Ireland and North
America, not least of which, food and drink!
The Water of Life
During the Plantation of Ulster, the Scottish settlers brought with them their practice of
distilling illegal whiskey, or “moonshine”, from ingredients such as barley, raisins, rye
and corn.
Whiskey making is firmly entrenched in the tradition of the North of Ireland - the Old
Bushmills Distillery, County Antrim, is the World's oldest licensed Whiskey Distillery. It
has been producing Malt Whiskey for almost 400 years, since King James I granted their
original licence to distil 'Aqua Vitae' (Water of Life) in 1608.
The Scots Irish took their moonshine making skills to North America. When whiskey
was taxed after the Revolutionary War, the Scots Irish settlers rebelled against the law.
This Whiskey Revolution was eventually settled.
Food Fusion
As with moonshine, the Scots Irish brought their culinary practices to the New World,
and in particular the art of baking. Jenny Bristow, one of Northern Ireland’s favourite
Chefs, knows only too well the extent to which this baking tradition links both sides of
the Atlantic. Jenny has been exploring Irish American recipes for her most recent
television programme in the US and has identified incredible similarities between both
baking traditions. Below is a recipe from Jenny, popular on both sides of the Atlantic,
which highlights this common baking interest. The culinary practice which unites both
Northern Ireland and America demonstrates the far reaching impact of the Scots Irish
journey.
Very Irish Potato Apple Cake
225g (1/2 lb) cooked potatoes, finely mashed
2 cooking apples, peeled and finely diced
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
30g (1 oz.) Demerara sugar
1 dessertspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper
30g (1 oz.) melted butter
55g (2 oz.) flour
Butter and caster sugar to serve
Into a bowl, place the diced apple, cinnamon, Demerara sugar and lemon juice. Cover
and leave to sit while preparing the potato cake. This dish is easier to make if the
potatoes are still warm. Cook and finely mash the potatoes, add the salt, pepper and
gradually work in the flour until the dough becomes very pliable. On a floured board
roll out the dough 5 mm (4 in.) thick and cut into circles approximately 7.5 cm (3 in.)
in diameter. Cover one round with the apple mixture, dampen the edge and cover with
the second piece. Seal the edges with a fork or by pinching with your fingers. Cook on
the griddle until golden brown and cooked. Spread with melted butter and caster sugar.
Alternatively, this dish can be cooked in the oven at 190 C (375 F) for 20 minutes.
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Direct Air Access to Northern Ireland
CANADA
Inverness
Vancouver
Aberdeen
Toronto
UNITED STATES
OF
AMERICA
Glasgow
Newark
Edinburgh
Newcastle
Londonderry
BELFAST
Teesside
Blackpool
DUBLIN
Liverpool
Leeds/Bradford
Manchester
Norwich
East Midlands
Shannon
Amsterdam
Birmingham
Cardiff
Bristol
London
Southampton
Exeter Bournemouth
Getting to Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is easy to get
to and easy to get around.
Excellent fast ferry links from
England and Scotland to
Belfast and Larne, three
airports with frequent low cost
flights from the UK and beyond,
plus good roads, buses and
trains to take you where you
want to go.
Guernsey
Jersey
Paris
By Road/Rail
Translink
+44 (0)28 9066 6630
www.translink.co.uk
Driving and Car Rentals
Driving in Northern Ireland is
on the left side of the road.
Car rental companies, in
general, do not rent to those
under 21 or over 70 years. All
For North American visitors,
drivers must hold valid licences.
there’s a direct flight from
For terms and conditions,
Newark to Belfast with
always check with the car
Continental Airlines. Log on to rental company before you
www.continental.com.
travel and for insurance
reasons, advise the company if
And visitors from Canada also
you are planning to travel
have direct access from Toronto between Northern Ireland and
and Vancouver to Belfast with
the Republic of Ireland.
Zoom Airlines. For more
information visit
Passport/Visa Requirements
www.flyzoom.com.
A valid U.S. passport is required
to visit the island of Ireland.
By Air
Visitors of all other
Belfast International Airport
nationalities should contact
+44 (0)28 9448 4848
their local British Embassy,
www.belfastairport.com
High Commission or Consular
Office prior to traveling to
Belfast City Airport
Northern Ireland.
+44 (0) 28 9093 9093
www.belfastcityairport.com
Medical
For all visitors, including those
City of Derry Airport
from the United States, private
+44 (0) 28 7181 0784
medical insurance is highly
www.cityofderryairport.com
recommended. Please check
with your carrier before
By Sea
departure regarding your
Port of Larne
coverage. EU Members can
+44 (0)28 2887 2100
access information about the
www.portoflarne.co.uk
European Health Insurance
Card (EHIC) by logging on to
Port of Belfast
www.dh.gov.uk/travellers.
+44 (0) 28 9055 4422
www.belfast-harbour.co.uk
Geneva
Pisa
Nice
Barcelona
Palma
Alicante
Faro
Malaga
There are direct flights to
Shannon and Dublin from
many cities
Currency
In Northern Ireland, the
currency is sterling. Any credit
cards that bear the Visa,
MasterCard or American
Express symbol will be widely
accepted in Northern Ireland.
Visitors with other cards should
ask in advance or check if that
card is on display where they
wish to use it.
Telephone/Mobile/Cellular
Only digital phones with GSM
subscriptions and a roaming
agreement will work on the
island of Ireland. Visitors should
consult with their supplier
before departure.
Landline
If calling Northern Ireland from
abroad, all telephone numbers
must be prefixed with 00 44 +
area code (without 0) + local
number. To call Northern
Ireland from elsewhere in the
UK or to make an internal call,
dial area code (with 0) + local
number. To call the Republic of
Ireland from Northern Ireland
dial 00 353 + area code
(without 0) + local number.
All Ireland Information
For details on the rest of
Ireland visit:
www.discoverireland.com
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Page 24
R15m/05/06
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ISBN: 1 86193 189 1
Nor thern Ireland Tourist Board, 59 Nor th Street, Belfast, BT1 1NB
Tel: +44 (0) 28 9023 1221 Textphone: +44 (0) 28 9044 1522
Fax: +44 (0) 28 9024 0960 www.discovernor thernireland.com
This document can be made available on request in braille, audio, large print, computer disk and pdf.
Every care has been taken to ensure accuracy in the compilation of this brochure. NITB cannot accept responsibility for omissions or errors but if these are brought to
our attention, future publications will be amended.
Acknowledgements
Text:
Alister McReynolds MA, BEd, FSA(Scot)
Fellow of the Huguenot Society of Great Britain and Ireland
Design:
Mitchell Kane Associates, Belfast
Printed in the UK by W & G Baird
Special thanks for co-operation to:
Andrew Jackson Centre, President Grant Ancestral Homestead, Chester Alan Arthur Ancestral
Home & Interpretive Centre, Wilson Farmstead, Ulster Folk and Transport Museum, Ulster
American Folk Park, William Roulston, Ulster Historical Foundation
and to all other organisations featured.
Picture of Jenny Bristow courtesy of McKeag Studios, Coleraine