Landscapes from America’s wild west are to be recreated in Northern Ireland as part of a £2.4 million museum expansion, it was announced today.
The frontier scenes will be built on 30 acres of unused land at the Ulster American Folk Park near Omagh.
Homes, barns and other settler buildings erected by early Irish immigrants will be built on the site in an effort to reproduce what life would have been like for those who went in search of a new life in the new world. The expansion has been primarily funded by the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure.
Meanwhile, the Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB) has matched a private donation to invest £75,000 to restore and rebuild an original frontier log house, first built by Ulster immigrant Richard McCallister in Cabell County, West Virginia, in 1827.
DCAL minister Nelson McCausland officially launched the project.
"The Ulster American Folk Park 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."
The project, which is the first phase of a 10-year development programme, is due to be opened to the public in 2011.
The rest of the museum, which already attracts 160,000 visitors annually, will not be affected while the construction is taking place.
Chief Executive for National Museums Northern Ireland, Tim Cooke welcomed the investment.
"This is great news for the Ulster American Folk Park," he said.
"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."
PA