America 250 – A journey shared with Ireland
250 years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, America’s cultural ties to Ireland remain powerful and our shared family bonds have only deepened. Ireland is where the story began for many American families, and there has never been a better time to come home to Ireland and discover your roots.
Ever since the first emigrants crossed the Atlantic with their stories, their music and their hope for a better life, the Irish have helped to shape the new republic.
Over two million people emigrated from Ireland to America in the 1700s and 1800s, influencing early colonial life and playing an important role in the Revolutionary War. Among the earliest and most significant settlers were the Scots Irish, many of whom became prominent pioneers, soldiers, and even presidents.
23 US presidents have ancestral links to Ireland – 17 of them have connections to Northern Ireland, including Grover Cleveland and Theodore Roosevelt. You can explore these presidential roots at ancestral homesteads around the island of Ireland.
Eight of the original signatories of the Declaration of Independence had Irish heritage – in fact, five of them had family roots in Ulster. It was Charles Thomson, born in County Derry, who designed the Great Seal of the United States. Stephen Moylan, a proud Cork man and aide to George Washington, coined the phrase “United States of America”.
A visit to Ireland offers the opportunity to see that our shared heritage is still true today.
Hear how those old traditional tunes evolved in the new world at the Bluegrass Omagh Festival in the Ulster American Folk Park. Or experience the thrill of live music at the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in Belfast or the Belfast Tattoo.
The distilling know-how carried across the Atlantic laid the foundations of America’s whiskey tradition. You can experience that potent mix of craft and innovation at Ireland’s whiskey distilleries such as Slane, Bushmills, and Middleton.
Sport is a passion shared by Ireland and America, from the Friendship Four bringing American college ice hockey to Belfast to the Aer Lingus College Football classic that sees top teams kick off their season in Dublin.
The people of Ireland and the
United States hold common values, a mutual respect, and shared hopes for the
future. That human connection is at the heart of our relationship, and it is
what will sustain and strengthen our bond in the years ahead.
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