Priceless Heritage book gets its American launch

Billy Kennedy's latest book in the Scots-Irish Chronicles series had a very successful launch in the United States last month.

  The 350-page book, titled 'Our Most Priceless Heritage - The Lasting Legacy of the Scots-Irish', is the ninth on the subject of the 18th century American frontier settlements.

  This is a highly comprehensive, omnibus study of a people, who, from their earliest arrival in America from Ulster 350 years ago, were firmly grounded in freedom and democracy.

  Official book launches were held in Knoxville, organised by the East Tennessee Historical Society, and at The Hermitage in Nashville, where the event was co-hosted by Tennessee Historical Society and The Hermitage management.

  Leading Tennessee civic leaders, historians and academics attended both events, where Billy Kennedy was joined by his publisher Dr Samuel Lowry, of Ambassador International, and by George Holmes, deputy chief executive of the Ulster-Scots Agency.

George Holmes, Ulster-Scots Agency and author Billy Kennedy welcomed to the Cocke County Heritage Day event. 

The book was also well received at the October 10 Heritage Day in Newport, Cocke county, East Tennessee; at a lecture in Wise county, south-west Virginia on October 11 and at the annual meeting of the Ulster-Scots Society of America in Canton, Georgia on October 14.

  It was also actively promoted at the four-day Fall Homecoming at the Museum of Appalachia and in Norris, East Tennessee, and at the two-day Stone Mountain Highland Games in Atlanta, Georgia.

  The Northern Ireland launch was held in the Stormont Hotel, Belfast on Thursday night past.

  Its chapters embrace the Scots-Irish (Ulster-Scots) settlements across the various American states and record the outstanding achievements of so many luminaries from this diaspora.

  The book title is taken from words of President James Buchanan, son of a Co Tyrone man.  He said: "My Ulster blood is my most priceless heritage".