Ulster Scots Trails in North Down
Hamilton & Montgomery Trail
For 400 years before their arrival, the dominant families in the area had been the Anglo-Norman Savages and Gaelic Clandeboye O’Neills Hamilton and Montgomery acquired two thirds of the huge O’Neill estates; one third was given to Hugh Montgomery by the O’Neills as a reward for freeing Con O’Neill from jail in Carrickfergus and for securing him a Royal pardon from Montgomery’s friend the new King James I.
Another friend of the King was James Hamilton; he had become interested in the Ards and north Down through his knowledge of the legal affairs an Englishman called Sir William Smith who had inherited a claim to the lands from his late uncle, Sir Thomas Smith.
Hamilton used his influence with the new King to acquire one third of the O’Neill estate - leaving Con O’Neill with one third for himself.
Follow the links below for further information on the Ulster Scots Trails:
Click here for information on the origins of the Hamilton & Montgomery Trail in North Down.
Click here for more information Hamilton & Montgomery Trail in North Down.
1798 Trail
Explaining and recovering 1798
The events of the 1798 rebellion have been, for generations, etched into the community of north Down and the Ards. The story, like so many in Northern Ireland, has often been misunderstood and misrepresented. As a result, to use the blunt terminology of Northern Ireland, the story has been embraced by Nationalists but avoided by most Unionists.
Follow the links below for further information on the Ulster Scots 1798 rebellion:
Click here for information on the origins of the 1798 Trail in North Down.
Click here for more information on the timeline of the 1798 rebellion.
Click here for more information on the timeline of the 1798 rebellion in North Down and Ards.
Click here for tales from the 1798 rebellion.
Click here for more information on the Scottish connection to the 1798 rebellion in North Down and Ards.