Ulster American Folk Park
This is a fascinating place to visi and we spent nearly a full day here as there is so much to see. It is divided into three sections - Ireland, the emigrant ship and America.
Many people emigrated from Ulster to America in the C18th and C19th. They were peasant farmers beholden to their landlord in Ireland, but in America they knew they would have their own land. In the Irish part, houses and farms have been rebuilt here. The stories of the families have been researched and costumed interpreters talk about them and their way of life.
There is a is a reconstruction of one of an emigrant ships that carried the family and possessions to America. Conditions on board were very poor with families sharing a small area often only six feet square. The voyage was dangerous and could take six to nine weeks. There was no guarantee of where they would land either - it all depended on the winds...
In the American section, some of the buildings have been brought from America and rebuilt here. Others have been specially built similar to those the early settlers lived in. Again the story of the emigrants has been traced and there are costumed interpreters in each of the houses. The story of individual families and their successes or failures can be traced from Ulster to America. Life was difficult for the settlers. Not only did they have to restart from scratch, they were also having to learn how to grow very different crops and different cooking methods etc.
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