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Ulster's long links with USA celebrated on Fourth of July

Elaine Mitchell,South west reporterand
Cormac Campbell,South east reporter, BBC News NI
BBC Four young boys stand in front of American flags. 3 of them have large drums and are holding drumsticks. The fourth has a flute to his lips. They are dressed in told fashioned clothes with waistcoats and flat caps. BBC
Pupils from Kilkeel primary school took part in a play about America's formation

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.

An assortment of knitted figures sits on top of a post box. A crocheted American flag lies underneath a knitted eagle, a little figure wearing old style officer clothing and a naval hat and a box of tea. It's all brightly coloured and striking.
Ulster American Folk Park guide Rachel Ewing crocheted USA themed figures

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.

A man stands in front of a thatched cottage. He is smiling and dressed in a brown polka dot shirt with a hoodie over the top. He has short hair, a full mustache and is wearing tortoise shell glasses. Behind him is a whitewashed cottage and stable. A red door is half open with some donkey ears peeking out.
Dylan Myres from California traced his ancestors back to Brackagh.

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".

A man stands on a quaint street. He is wearing a maroon polo shirt and glasses. He has quaffed brown hair and sports a red beard. The street behind him is cobblestoned with ole style shops on either side.
John Paul Coyle says thousands of Americans visit the Folk Park every year

"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.

A woman stands in front of a display of 3 American flags. She has long red curly hair that hangs over her shoulder, she is partly dressed in a grey suit and wears a silver necklace and pendant.
Lisa Guyselman from Carolina was moved to see her ancestor depicted on stage

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.

A large group of children stand on a stage in a hall. Some are casually dressed and others are wearing old fashioned clothing, waistcoats and hats. There are around 50 people in the picture all looking at the camera.
68 pupils from Kilkeel Primary School staged 'The Lang Road Tae Liberty'

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."