24th Ulster-American Heritage Symposium
June 19-22, 2024
Mellon Centre for Migration Studies

It is with great pleasure that we announce the 24th meeting of the Ulster-American Heritage Symposium will be hosted by the Mellon Centre for Migration Studies at the Ulster American Folk park, Omagh, Co. Tyrone June 19-22, 2024.

The Symposium is co-sponsored by the Mellon Centre for Migration Studies, located at the Ulster-American Folk Park in Omagh, Northern Ireland. Part of the Libraries Ni Heritage service, it is the primary project of the Scotch-Irish Trust of Ulster. The Symposium has been closely associated with the Ulster-American Folk Park since it met for the first time in 1976 and with the Mellon Centre since 1996.

The symposium addresses  “The Question How”.  The central theme for the meeting’s deliberations revolves around the arguably neglected question of how migrants actually accomplished the journey across the Atlantic Ocean. This encompasses, for example, systems of communication, the migration trade, logistics, rituals of departure and arrival.

The symposium’s goal is to encourage scholarly study and public awareness of the historical connections between Ulster and North America but to also be a demonstration of the strong bonds and partnerships that we continue to enjoy across the Atlantic.

The site of the Ulster American Folk Park has hosted the bi-annual symposium since 1996 when it is hosted on this side of the Atlantic. It was last held here in 2016 and was cancelled in 2020 due to the pandemic. In 2022, it me at East Tennessee State University in Johnson City.

We are delighted with the response from our colleagues across Nth America for what promises to be a very stimulating series of exchanges over the few days.

If you have any further queries please do not hesitate to contact Liam.Campbell@librariesni.org.uk or Patrick.Fitzgerald@librariesni.org.uk