Cullybackey plans are boosted as Lyons unveils new USA-NI250 funding

COMMUNITIES Minister Gordon Lyons has announced funding for projects that will promote Northern Ireland’s history, heritage, arts sector and tourism offering as the US marks the 250th anniversary of the US Declaration of Independence.

The projects include Cullybackey Community Partnership’s plans to explore the cultural and historical links between the village and the Declaration of Independence, involving the development of an exhibition, a booklet, a series of talks and a short video, all mapped to the educational curriculum.

The projects, spread across Northern Ireland, will also commemorate the crucial role that people of Ulster-Scots heritage played in the signing of the Declaration and the strong links that endure today between the US and Northern Ireland.

Minister Lyons made the announcement during a visit to the President Arthur Homestead in Cullybackey, the ancestral home of Chester Alan Arthur, the 21st President of the United States.

The Minister said: “I am delighted to announce this funding, which will enable local organisations to tell their stories and commemorate the deep historic connections that exist, ensuring that Northern Ireland’s role is marked as well as delivering benefits for our people, as we approach the semiquincentennial of the US Declaration of Independence.

“The key roles played by those from Northern Ireland in the formation of the United States have become much more clearly understood on both sides of the Atlantic in the last few years.

“The USANI250 funding scheme, administered by the Ulster-Scots Agency, clearly shows the breadth and depth of those links, and how they continue today.”

The projects cover all parts of Northern Ireland and highlight many individuals and places which are important to this story.

Well-known institutions

They include well-known institutions such as the Ulster American Folk Park, stories of Francis Hutcheson, of Benjamin Franklin, of the journey from the Glorious Revolution to US250, and the role of women in US250.

The events include concerts, exhibitions, cultural displays, theatre productions and the development of immersive experiences for visitors.

The Minister added: “It is wonderful to make this announcement from the President Arthur Homestead and learn of the plans of the Cullybackey Community Partnership.

“More announcements will follow as we approach the anniversary, and I encourage everyone to look out for more information and get involved.”

The President Arthur Homestead is owned by Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, providing a reminder of the ongoing linkages between Northern Ireland people and those in America, with President Chester A. Arthur’s family having farmed in the Bann Valley before emigrating to North America in the early part of the nineteenth century.