Communities Minister Gordon Lyons has announced that original historical documents detailing the profound links between Northern Ireland and the United States will be brought to Belfast later this year. The announcement follows the Minister's visit to the Library of Congress in Washington, DC, where he viewed the items in specialist storage.

The loan marks a historic milestone, as it is the first time these specific documents have been permitted to leave the United States. The agreement was reached following months of negotiations between Department for Communities officials and the Library of Congress.

The documents will serve as the centrepiece for a new exhibition at the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) titled 'Voices Across the Atlantic: The Ulster Legacy in America'. The exhibition is part of the commemorations for the 250th anniversary of the signing of the US Declaration of Independence, celebrating the thousands of people who emigrated from Ulster to America during the late 1700s.

Among the featured items are papers belonging to Charles Thomson, a native of Gorteade in County Londonderry, who served as Secretary to the Continental Congress. Also included are documents relating to Andrew Jackson, the seventh US President, whose parents were from Carrickfergus. Minister Gordon Lyons stated: "I am delighted that my Department has secured the loan of some remarkable original documents that form an important part of America's history. They will be carefully transported across the Atlantic to feature in an exciting new exhibition celebrating the legacy created by the many thousands who left these shores for America in the late 1700s."

He added: "This will be the first time in history that the documents have been on loan outside of the USA. This has been achieved through direct engagement between my officials and the Library of Congress over several months, with my recent visit sealing the deal in person."

Dr Kevin Butterfield, Acting Chief of the Manuscript Division at the Library of Congress, welcomed the collaboration, noting that the materials help illustrate the "rich and complex history" of the United States' founding—a history significantly shaped by people from Ulster.

The exhibition is scheduled to open later this year, and the Minister has encouraged the public to visit PRONI to explore the deep-rooted connections between the two nations.

PRONI's 'Voices Across the Atlantic: The Ulster Legacy in America' exhibition will take place at its headquarters in Titanic Quarter, Belfast this autumn. More details will follow.

To find out more about events across Northern Ireland marking the 250th anniversary of the US Declaration of Independence and its links with Ulster, visit the USA-NI250 website