Minister announces £2.4 million museum expansion

Minister for Culture, Arts and Leisure, 28 July 2009,Northern Ireland

The Minister for Culture, Arts and Leisure, Nelson McCausland, has announced a major expansion plan at the Ulster American Folk Park.

The expansion has been largely funded by DCAL as part of its capital development programme with National Museums Northern Ireland which, since 2006, has provided a total investment of over £18.6million.

Welcomed by Dan Harvey, Chair of the Board of Trustees, National Museums Northern Ireland, the Minister revealed details of a £2.4million investment which will see 30 additional acres of museum land transformed into a series of American Frontier Landscapes. These will create the appropriate environments for displaying a growing collection of original Ulster settler buildings from the early American frontier which, when complete, will be the finest such collection found anywhere in the world.

The County Tyrone museum, part of National Museums Northern Ireland, has won numerous awards, attracted globally acclaimed exhibitions and currently attracts 160,000 visitors per year.

As well as funding from DCAL, the Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB) has matched a private donation to invest £75,000 for the restoration and rebuilding of an original frontier log house, first built by Ulster immigrant Richard McCallister in Cabell County, West Virginia, in1827.

Officially launching the project, the Minister said: “The Ulster American Folk is a wonderful exploration of Ulster’s own rich history as well as the role that Ulster emigrants played in shaping American life and culture. The museum appeals to all ages and is an excellent example of Northern Ireland’s outstanding tourist offering.”

“This investment from DCAL will further improve visitor experience at the museum and allow the Ulster American Folk Park to expand the New World area. We are keen to continue to invest in our national museums to ensure they are of an exceptional standard with international appeal.”

Welcoming the investment, Chief Executive for National Museums Northern Ireland, Tim Cooke, said: “This is great news for the Ulster American Folk Park. Our focus at the museum has always been to offer visitors living history at its very best. This project will create even more for visitors to see and do at the museum.

“There has been a steady growth in visitor numbers to the Ulster American Folk Park in recent years and I am confident that this investment will help attract additional tourists in years to come, while also extending opportunities to learn about emigration and our connections with the United States.”

This first phase of a ten year development programme is due to be completed at the museum in 2011 when it will be open to the public. The rest of the museum will not be affected during the project and will operate normally.

The Ulster American Folk Park, located near Omagh, is an outdoor museum which tells the story of emigration from Ulster to America in the 18th and 19th centuries. The museum organises award-winning events throughout the year including American Independence Day celebrations, Woodfest and the renowned Bluegrass Festival,

4–6 September 2009, which attracts musicians from throughout Europe and the USA.

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