The founder of the Democratic Party was born in a log cabin in the remote Waxhaws region of South Carolina in March 1767. Both his parents, Andrew and Elizabeth, had left their home at Boneybefore near Carrickfergus 18 months earlier, sailing from the port of Larne. The Jacksons themselves had moved from Wigtonshire, Scotland, to Ulster during the Plantation of the 17th century. As an Army general, he gained national fame as the victorious commander at the Battle of New Orleans in January 1815 - the greatest American victory in the War of 1812 against the British. Like his parents, Jackson was a staunch Presbyterian and his wife, Rachel Donelson, who died before his inauguration, could also claim Ulster links. Today, Carrickfergus honours its links to ‘Old Hickory’ through a reconstruction of a thatched Ulster-Scots cottage as it was in the 1750s.placeholder image
The founder of the Democratic Party was born in a log cabin in the remote Waxhaws region of South Carolina in March 1767. Both his parents, Andrew and Elizabeth, had left their home at Boneybefore near Carrickfergus 18 months earlier, sailing from the port of Larne. The Jacksons themselves had moved from Wigtonshire, Scotland, to Ulster during the Plantation of the 17th century. As an Army general, he gained national fame as the victorious commander at the Battle of New Orleans in January 1815 - the greatest American victory in the War of 1812 against the British. Like his parents, Jackson was a staunch Presbyterian and his wife, Rachel Donelson, who died before his inauguration, could also claim Ulster links. Today, Carrickfergus honours its links to ‘Old Hickory’ through a reconstruction of a thatched Ulster-Scots cottage as it was in the 1750s.

United States presidents: exploring the Northern Irish heritage of 14 American leaders

By Conor McAteer
Published 4th Nov 2024, 13:51 GMT

The United States was built on immigration, and, around a third of the occupants of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue could trace their ancestry back to the ancient Irish province of Ulster.

Of all the men who have served as President of the United States of America, almost half of them (20) could claim some Ulster-Scots heritage.

Among those is Bill Clinton who spoke proudly of his ties on his two visits here in 1995 and 1998 (his ancestors were the Blythe and Ayer families), and many of his predecessors who were also the product of Northern Ireland’s contribution to the American ‘melting pot’.

While many of these Presidents boasted recognisable Ulster-Scots names - Jackson, McKinley, Wilson - others, like Cleveland and one of the two Roosevelts, are less obvious.

Here are the 14 US presidents with roots in Northern Ireland:

Born in June 1924 into a prominent New England family, Bush came from mostly English stock, but an ancestor on his maternal side was William Gault, who was likely born in Co. Antrim. Bush potentially had the most impressive resume of any presidential candidate, having served as Ambassador to the UN, chair of the Republican National Committee, liaison chief for China, and CIA Director. Openly admitting that foreign policy interested him more than domestic issues, he navigated the final years of the Cold War, including the reunification of Germany and the collapse of the USSR. He also invaded Panama and organised an international coalition to send troops into the Gulf to drive Iraqi forces out of Kuwait. His son, born in July 1946, achieved the highest-ever approval ratings a President had ever had, following the September 11 attacks, before ordering an invasion of Afghanistan to oust the Taliban and destroy al-Qaeda. In the eyes of many, however, he over-reached by ordering an attack on Iraq in 2003, based on spurious evidence that Saddam Hussein was developing non-conventional weapons - the invasion would see allegations of massacres and other war crimes. His presidency also saw the beginning of the Great Recession, where at least 8.7 million jobs were shed between February 2008 and February 2010.

13. George H.W. Bush (1989-1993) and George W. Bush (2001-2009)

Born in June 1924 into a prominent New England family, Bush came from mostly English stock, but an ancestor on his maternal side was William Gault, who was likely born in Co. Antrim. Bush potentially had the most impressive resume of any presidential candidate, having served as Ambassador to the UN, chair of the Republican National Committee, liaison chief for China, and CIA Director. Openly admitting that foreign policy interested him more than domestic issues, he navigated the final years of the Cold War, including the reunification of Germany and the collapse of the USSR. He also invaded Panama and organised an international coalition to send troops into the Gulf to drive Iraqi forces out of Kuwait. His son, born in July 1946, achieved the highest-ever approval ratings a President had ever had, following the September 11 attacks, before ordering an invasion of Afghanistan to oust the Taliban and destroy al-Qaeda. In the eyes of many, however, he over-reached by ordering an attack on Iraq in 2003, based on spurious evidence that Saddam Hussein was developing non-conventional weapons - the invasion would see allegations of massacres and other war crimes. His presidency also saw the beginning of the Great Recession, where at least 8.7 million jobs were shed between February 2008 and February 2010. Photo: Library of Congress

Born in Arkansas in August 1946, Clinton, possibly the President most closely involved in Northern Irish affairs, claims to be a relative of Lucas Cassidy, who left Co. Fermanagh around 1750. Away from Northern Ireland and the Lewinsky scandal, he presided over the longest uninterrupted period of economic growth in American history. The Congressional Budget Office reported the first budget surplus since 1969, while he ordered U.S. intervention in Kosovo and Bosnia. Despite his personal controversies, he left office with the joint-highest approval rating of any President.

14. Bill Clinton (1993-2001)

Born in Arkansas in August 1946, Clinton, possibly the President most closely involved in Northern Irish affairs, claims to be a relative of Lucas Cassidy, who left Co. Fermanagh around 1750. Away from Northern Ireland and the Lewinsky scandal, he presided over the longest uninterrupted period of economic growth in American history. The Congressional Budget Office reported the first budget surplus since 1969, while he ordered U.S. intervention in Kosovo and Bosnia. Despite his personal controversies, he left office with the joint-highest approval rating of any President. Photo: Britannica

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