Northern Ireland will play a key role in celebrating a crucial moment in the successful overthrow of British rule in the United States, DUP Communities Minister Gordon Lyons said following his lengthy trip to the country.
A programme of cultural and educational activities to mark the 250th anniversary of the 1776 Declaration of Independence will take place both in the US and the north, Mr Lyons said in a statement issued on Sunday.
The minister, who was unavailable via email to members of the Assembly Communities Committee since an October 8 meeting with representatives of loyalist paramilitaries, flew out to the US two days later.
Members of the committee this coming Thursday are due to question the minister about his meeting with the Loyalist Communities Council.
His department said on Friday Mr Lyons was in Washington DC, Toronto and Bethlehem, Pennsylvania attending a series of events, meetings and engagements relating to his departmental responsibilities.
It has now emerged he visited the US National Archives, Library of Congress, Smithsonian Institute and had meetings with the commission tasked with overseeing the anniversary events. Last Wednesday, he posted on social media of a meeting with the White House Historical Association.
On Saturday afternoon, the minister posted on social media he was at Cairncastle Primary School near Larne for its Pumpkin Patch event and to officially open a new outdoor classroom.
On the anniversary of the declaration, in July, 2026, Mr Lyons said: “This collaboration will be featured in The National Archives’ Declaration 250 programme, Road to Revolution, which will dive deeper into the relationship and histories between the United States and Northern Ireland.”
He added: “The 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence presents a unique opportunity to promote the cultural and historical links between Northern Ireland and the United States. It also highlights the significant role that people from Northern Ireland played in shaping America.
“The programme will include lectures, talks, conferences, exchanges of documents, exhibitions, and outreach.”
The department said the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) holds one of the largest collections of emigrant records in the world.
It noted the Ulster Scots “left an indelible mark on America” with at least five of the signatories of the declaration having direct connections and 17 of the US Presidents claiming roots in the nine counties.
The American revolutionary war, which began in 1775 and ended in 1783 with victory over the British, hugely influenced the 1798 United Irishmen rebellion against British rule, whose leadership included many northern Presbyterians from an Ulster Scots heritage.
