Celtic tour day II: Ulster American Folk Park

We never really noticed passing into Northern Ireland. Possibly, there was a small sign somewhere, but if so, it completely escaped our attention. I started noticing slight differences in the signposting and the license plates, and that was that. We made a brief stop in Enniskillen, but the "castle" we were going to look at was extremely disappointing from the outside, and traffic & parking was a nightmare. So, we pressed on towards our intended destination for the day; Giant's Causeway. However, just outside Omagh, we spotted a sign for something called the Ulster American Folk Park, and since we're both huge fans of the US, we decided to check it out.

Well, it turned out to be the clear highlight of the trip. We spent several hours walking around in the rain, looking at tons of old stuff and reconstructed buildings, talking to craftsmen and volunteers who'd given up time and resources to come talk to tourists like ourselves about things they were passionate about. I absofuckinlutely loved the place and the people there, but since I'm still a lazy bastard, I'm going to just post my TripAdvisor review for you:

"Went there with a friend on a whim and was overwhelmed by the sheer amount of stuff they had on exhibition and the experience of emigration. Very informative exhibition at the visitor centre and over forty mostly historical buildings around the area; everything from the childhood home of Thomas Mellon (of Carnegie-Mellon/Pittsburgh fame) to homesteads and even a replica of a ship they used to transport migrants over to the US. Extra special bonus points go to the very friendly blacksmith who chose yours truly to operate the bellow, hammer the iron and cool if off in water (even though he threatened me with seven years of apprenticeship and daily beatings). We also had a very good conversation with a lady at the old schoolhouse and learned about the Sally Rod, which apparently was used to punish unruly children up until the '90s in Ireland. Some of the guides were more interesting and motivating than the others and I really wish they'd sell t-shirts or similar apparel at the visitor centre, but these are immaterial points compared to the wonderful four hours we spent there and both agreed at the end of our four-day visit to the island that this had been the highlight. If you have any interest in migration/Irish/American history, go there. I can not recommend it enough!"

One of the items in the visitor center's exhibit was some stuff about passengers on the Titanic, of whom many were Irish. This one made it over and I can only marvel at the experience of someone born in 1890 in rural Ireland - one of the poorest areas in all of Europe - who survived possibly the most famed shipwreckings of all times, and died in 1959 in what was at the time, withot comparison, the richest country on earth.


A typical immigrant neighborhood in New York.


The iron smithy where I got to try my hand at hammering an iron rod and was threatened with seven years of daily beatings.


A typical school room in old Ireland, not all that different from Norway.


A demonstration of the Sally Rod. Mmmm, whuppin' pupils into complete obedience... a man can dream...


Stationery. Tons and tons of stationery.


I believe this was an old pharmacy.


The grocery store.


A smaller copy of a ship they used to transport people from Ireland to the US. Living quarters were cramped, illness was rampant and arrival was not guaranteed.


Another store.


Times were so much more innocent back then...


One might mistake the scene for Jamestown, Virginia or similar.


This might be how a pioneer house looked back in the day.