Where to Visit the Irish Roots of America’s Founding Fathers

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Three of the 56 men who signed the American Declaration of Independence were born in Ireland. Dozens more had parents or grandparents who left Irish shores for the New World. The Irish roots of America’s founding fathers run through counties across the island — and today you can walk the exact ground they came from.

This guide shows you where to go. From a harbour in Cork that sent millions across the Atlantic, to an open-air museum in Co. Tyrone that recreates the whole journey, Ireland offers some of the most moving heritage experiences in Europe.

The Irish-Born Men Who Signed the Declaration of Independence

When Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence on 4th July 1776, three of the signers had been born in Ireland.

Matthew Thornton came to America from Ireland as a child, around 1714. He grew up in New Hampshire, trained as a physician, and became one of the colony’s most respected voices. In 1776 he signed the Declaration. Historians believe he was born in either Co. Londonderry or Co. Antrim — the exact townland is not recorded.

George Taylor was born in Ireland in 1716. He emigrated to Pennsylvania, worked as an ironmaster, and entered politics. He signed the Declaration of Independence in August 1776. His Irish origins are generally placed in Co. Antrim.

James Smith was born in Ireland around 1719 and emigrated to Pennsylvania, where he became a lawyer and officer in the Continental Army. He was one of the less celebrated signers, but no less important.

These were not wealthy aristocrats. They were ordinary Irish emigrants who ended up at the centre of one of history’s most significant moments.

The Ulster-Scots: Ireland’s Broader Gift to the Founding Era

The three Irish-born signers tell only part of the story. A far larger wave of emigrants — known in America as the Scots-Irish — shaped the founding era from the ground up.

These were descendants of Scottish settlers who came to Ulster (northern Ireland) in the 1600s under the Plantation scheme. By the early 1700s, many were leaving again — this time for America. Rent pressures, failed harvests, and religious restrictions gave them little reason to stay.

They settled across Pennsylvania, Virginia, and the Carolinas. They became farmers, frontier soldiers, and politicians. Several of their descendants reached the highest office in the land.

Andrew Jackson, seventh President of the United States, was the son of Irish emigrants. His parents left Carrickfergus, Co. Antrim, in 1765 and settled in the Carolinas. Jackson was born two years later. He became a war hero and president — but the journey began in Antrim.

James Monroe, fourth President, traced his ancestry to Ulster. John Caldwell Calhoun, one of the most powerful political voices of the early republic, came from Ulster-Irish stock. Dozens of generals in the Continental Army had Ulster connections.

Ireland provided the manpower of the revolution at every level — soldiers, politicians, and organisers. For a deeper look at the family names behind this story, see our guide to Irish surnames from Co. Antrim and what they reveal.

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Where to Visit the Irish Roots of America’s Founding Fathers

Ireland has several remarkable sites dedicated to this story. Each one is worth a dedicated visit.

Ulster-American Folk Park, Omagh, Co. Tyrone

This is the most important museum in Ireland for anyone tracing Scots-Irish American heritage. The Ulster-American Folk Park stands on land that once belonged to the Mellon family — ancestors of Andrew Mellon, who became US Secretary of the Treasury.

The outdoor museum recreates the full journey from 18th-century Ulster to colonial America. You walk through a reconstructed Ulster village. You board a full-size emigrant ship. Then you step into an American frontier settlement at the other end.

It is one of the most immersive heritage experiences in Ireland. The scale of it — real buildings, real distances, real ships — makes the emigrant experience feel immediate rather than abstract.

The park is a short drive from Omagh town and is open year-round. Allow at least three hours. The park is located in Northern Ireland, so check current opening times before you travel.

Andrew Jackson Centre, Boneybefore, Co. Antrim

In the small village of Boneybefore, just outside Carrickfergus, you can visit the site of the Jackson family’s ancestral home. The Andrew Jackson Centre includes a replica thatched cottage on the land from which Jackson’s parents departed for the Carolinas in 1765.

The centre tells the story of the Jackson family and their son’s rise from frontier poverty to the presidency. It is free to enter and opens during summer months.

Co. Antrim is the county most closely associated with the broader Ulster-Scots emigration story. The coastline, the Glens, and the historic town of Carrickfergus all carry echoes of these departures. Many of the men who fought at Bunker Hill, Saratoga, and Yorktown had grandparents who left harbours along this coast.

Cobh Heritage Centre, Co. Cork

For most Irish emigrants to America, the journey began at Cobh — then called Queenstown — in Co. Cork. Ships heading from Cork to Philadelphia, New York, and Boston had used this deep-water harbour for over a century before the Famine.

The Cobh Heritage Centre — known as The Queenstown Story — is one of Ireland’s finest emigration museums. It tells the full story of Irish emigration through photographs, personal testimonies, and interactive displays. The building itself is the original Victorian railway station used by departing emigrants.

Cobh is a beautiful town. Brightly coloured houses climb the hillside above the harbour, and St Colman’s Cathedral dominates the skyline. It is an easy day trip from Cork city. You can also read about the first person through Ellis Island — a teenage girl from Cork — to understand the human scale of what this harbour witnessed.

The National Library of Ireland, Dublin

If you want to trace your own family connection to founding-era Ireland, the National Library of Ireland in Dublin holds one of the world’s great genealogical collections. Civil registration records, census fragments, and church registers are all available.

The library offers a free genealogy consultation service. Staff can help you identify which county your ancestors came from and point you to the right records. The reading rooms are open to the public without advance booking, though the consultation service benefits from prior contact.

For a step-by-step approach to tracing your roots before you travel, see our guide to planning an Irish heritage trip to your ancestral county.

Planning Your Trip

Most heritage visitors split their time between two regions.

Ulster (Co. Antrim, Co. Tyrone, and Co. Londonderry) is the heartland of the Scots-Irish emigration story. The Ulster-American Folk Park and the Andrew Jackson Centre are both here. Belfast makes a practical base, with good road connections to both sites.

Cork is the place to experience the emigration story through the Cobh Heritage Centre. Cork city is a lively base, and Cobh is only 25 minutes by train from Cork Kent station.

Dublin sits between the two and makes a natural starting point. From Dublin, you can reach Cork by train in under three hours and drive to Co. Antrim in two. Allow at least three days for a heritage-focused itinerary — more if you plan to do genealogy research while you are there.

The period around 4th July is a particularly meaningful time to make this trip. Many Irish heritage sites acknowledge the American Independence Day connection. For help building your full itinerary, start with our complete Ireland trip planning guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where did most of America’s founding fathers come from in Ireland?

Most founding fathers with Irish connections came from Ulster — what is now Northern Ireland. Co. Antrim, Co. Tyrone, and Co. Londonderry were the main departure counties for Scots-Irish emigrants in the 1700s. The three Irish-born signers of the Declaration of Independence all came from this region.

Can I visit the ancestral home of Andrew Jackson in Ireland?

Yes. The Andrew Jackson Centre in Boneybefore, near Carrickfergus, Co. Antrim, marks the site of the Jackson family’s ancestral home. It includes a replica thatched cottage and an exhibition on the Jackson family’s departure for America. Entry is free and it opens during summer months.

What is the best museum in Ireland to learn about Irish emigration to America?

The Ulster-American Folk Park in Omagh, Co. Tyrone, is the best for the 18th-century Scots-Irish story. It recreates the full emigrant journey with authentic period buildings and a full-size ship. The Cobh Heritage Centre in Co. Cork covers the later 19th and 20th-century emigration story in equal depth.

How can I trace my own Irish roots connected to the founding era?

Start with the National Library of Ireland in Dublin or the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) in Belfast. Both hold church registers, estate records, and emigration lists from the 1700s. Our Irish heritage trip planning guide walks you through the research process step by step.

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