Young Ambassadors Visit Parliament Buildings

12 June 2012

The Young Ambassador Programme is organised through the Friends of Saint Patrick organisation and the Saint Patrick Centre, Downpatrick; and as in previous years, the Ulster-Scots Agency and Foras na Gaeilge are each hosting several of the Young Ambassadors for the duration of their visit.

The programme is designed to promote a greater understanding of the shared cultural heritage of Northern Ireland in North America amongst those aged 20-25.  Six Young Ambassadors are currently in Northern Ireland for 15 days exploring various aspects of the history and traditions of the island of Ireland; including aspects of history, culture, music, reconciliation and Ulster-American links.

The Ulster-Scots Agency is hosting two of the six Young Ambassadors, Caitlin and Sarah who have a particular interest in Ulster-Scots culture.  Agency Development Officer Maynard Hanna has played a major role in mentoring the two young Americans during their time with the Agency.  They have learnt about Ulster-Scots heritage, the language and how it is promoted within Northern Ireland through our work with the community. 

On Monday 11^th June, the Young Ambassadors visited Parliament Buildings and were honored to meet First Minister, Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister, Martin McGuinness.  They were also honored to meet with William Hay, Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly who took time from his busy schedule to tell the Young Ambassadors about his role as Speaker and to answer any questions they had about the Northern Ireland Assembly.

See more photos of the Young Ambassadors at https://www.facebook.com/UlsterScotsAgency