After 30 years of conflict during the Troubles, an agreement was reached on April 10, 1998, between the British and Irish governments and most of the political parties in Northern Ireland about how Northern Ireland should be governed. US Senator George Mitchel helped broker The Good Friday Agreement. It was overwhelmingly approved in 2 referendums in both parts of Ireland in May 1998. The agreement set up a power-sharing assembly to govern Northern Ireland by cross-community consent. Nineteen years later, it is still a work in progress.
Hands Across the Divide monument below is a bronze sculpture in Derry of two men reaching out to each other and symbolizes the spirit of reconciliation and hope for the future. You may notice that the hands are not quite touching indicating there is still work to be done.
Once we left Derry, our first stop was the Ulster American Folk Park. The museum tells the story of three centuries of Irish emigration. Using costumed guides and displays of traditional crafts, the museum focuses on those who left Ulster for America in the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. The park was developed around the Mellon House, which stands on its original site. This homestead was the birthplace of Irish-American banker and lawyer Thomas Mellon, founding father of the Mellon banking dynasty.
Once inside the house, we were greeted by a woman who told us stories and gave us samples of her freshly baked soda bread.
There were several buildings representing homes, a school, churches, a post office, and a typical street in Ulster. After we left a replica of the ship, we arrived in “America” to a typical port town. Below is a replica of the Mellon home in Pennsylvania. The original home still stands in the town of Export, Pennsylvania. I found it very interesting that over 1/3 of our US Presidents are Ulster Irish (Scotch Irish) descendants.
Our next stop was the Battle of the Boyne site. Even though it took place in Ireland, the Battle of the Boyne in 1690 was fought to determine who would be king of England and Scotland. The deposed King James II of England was Catholic. Dutch Prince William of Orange and his wife Mary II had acceded to the Crowns of England and Scotland and were Protestant. Unfortunately for Ireland, King James lost the battle. For the Jacobites, (supporters of James), the war was fought for Irish sovereignty, religious tolerance for Catholicism, and land ownership. Conversely, for the Williamites (supporters of William & Mary), the war was about maintaining Protestant and English rule in Ireland. They feared for their lives and their property if James and his Catholic supporters were to rule Ireland. The Battle of the Boyne was the largest battle ever fought on Irish soil with 60,000 troops of thirteen different nationalities. It is one of the most significant events in Irish history. Below is the battle grounds of the Battle of the Boyne.
The Oldbridge House, built in the area of the battle 40 years later.
As we traveled to our destination of Drogheda, we entered the Republic of Ireland. Again, we have a wonderful view from our room of the River Boyne.
Tomorrow, we explore the town of Drogheda and then move on to Dublin.
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