Post by Tourism Ireland

Today, we wish all our US friends and partners a happy 4th of July, on the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Connections between the island of Ireland and the US have been meaningful over the years, in both directions. Did you know 23 of 46 presidents traced ancestry to this island, particularly Ulster? Eight of the original signatories of the Declaration of Independence had Irish heritage, with five of them having family roots in Ulster. This year, Tourism Ireland has been proud to welcome US visitors back to the island of Ireland to explore historical links. Publications like National Geographic and Smithsonian have covered the story with us. There are wonderful places to visit, including EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum, presidential homesteads, the Ulster American Folk Park and Hillsborough Castle, which helped shape the thinking of founding father Benjamin Franklin in the eighteenth century. Find out more about stories and places to explore on our America 250 page on Ireland.com: https://lnkd.in/emjiGWeX 📸 Hillsborough Castle and Gardens, County Down