There were two waves of immigrants who sought refuge in America. First were the Scots Irish, decendants of the Scottish Covenanters and Reivers. Extortionate rents, starvation and poverty forced these people to flee Ireland (circa 1715) and yet they proceeded to play a prominent part in the creation of the United States. They fought and died in battles such as Kings Mountain, the War of Independence and the Alamo. (David Crockett's father and mother came from Donnemana 70 miles north of Belfast, Sam Houston's mother came from Larne 25 miles north of Belfast.)
By the 1830's this mainly Protestant immigration begins to taper off, but, is being replaced by Roman Catholic immigrants fleeing rack rents, evictions, subdivision and religious persecution. When the Great Irish Famine (1845-1848) devastated the country 1,000,000 people died of starvation and its attendant diseases and a further 1.500,000 million fled to the United States. This pattern continued through to the late 20th century.
This tour tells the story of these people and how they impacted on the U.S.
Leaving Belfast the tour proceeds to the American Folk Park in Omagh. After a tour of the huge exibition centre the tour moves outdoors and proceeds through the 'old country' where buildings ranging from the Mellon homestead to the poorest cottier's hovel have been painstakingly recreated. Then passing through and witnessing the horror of the immigrant ship, (an actual recreation) the visitor arrives in the new world and experiences life on the American frontier.
Prebooking is essential
