EXACTLY three centuries ago 52 emigrants gathered their belongings, boarded a ship in Co Antrim and bid a tearful farewell to the place they called home.
They boarded the Friends' Goodwill ship in Larne and set sail for Boston filled with hope for a prosperous new life.
Their pioneering voyage across the Atlantic in May 1717, on what is believed to be the first emigrant ship to set sail from these shores, is being celebrated this weekend at the place where their journey began.
A four-day festival in Larne will mark the 300th anniversary of the Friends’ Goodwill sailing and honour the "close and long-standing ties" that exist between Northern Ireland and the US. It will showcase the culture and heritage of both sides of the Atlantic.
It aims to celebrate the significance of the journey made by the 52 men and women on a journey that took four months, with one emigrant dying on their way to begin their new life.
A programme of events, organised by Mid and East Antrim Council, includes exhibitions, historical re-enactments, American-themed sports displays and outdoor music concerts taking place with Una Healy, star of The Saturdays, headlining the festival tomorrow.
Deputy mayor William McNeilly said the festival will "remember those brave visionaries who set sail in search of a better life, thousands of miles from home".
"They endured a hellish four-month journey before finally arriving in Boston, Massachusetts, having completed a route across the Atlantic that would become one of the world’s most travelled," he said.
"Sadly, one passenger did not survive.
"Over the next 60 years, more than 200,000 Ulster-Scots are believed to have made the same journey from Ulster to America, where many would carve out successful lives and safeguard their families' futures.
"We are immensely proud of the pioneering spirit of those who boarded the Friends' Goodwill, and the events we have planned in their honour are testament to that."
US Consul General Daniel J Lawton said the festival was a fantastic way of "celebrating the close and long-standing ties".
"The men and women who left Larne, starting 300 years ago - and those who followed - played a crucial role in shaping the American nation and our shared history," he said.
For further information, visit www.midandeastantrim.gov.uk/news
