New stamp celebrates Ulster links to American independence
An PostAn Ulster connection to the American Declaration of Independence has been commemorated in a new stamp.
John Dunlap, who was born in Strabane, County Tyrone, in 1747, printed the first broadside copies of the document and fought alongside George Washington in the American Revolutionary War.
The Declaration of Independence set the American Revolutionary War in motion.
The new worldwide (W) postage stamp has been created by the Irish postal service, An Post, to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the document.
The declaration formally announced the 13 colonies' separation from Great Britain.
Dunlap's broadside copies do not contain the original signatures from the 56 signatories of the 13 colonies.
Instead, they were printed by Dunlap as a way to inform the public about the declaration and were put up in public places.
The Belfast News Letter was the first newspaper outside of America to publish the news in August 1776.
At the time, Dunlap's printing house made 200 copies. Only 26 are now known to exist.
The stamp includes a portrait of Dunlap and his signature.
Who was John Dunlap?
John Dunlap left his Tyrone home in 1757 at the age of 10 for Philadelphia to serve an apprenticeship with his uncle, a printer and bookseller.
By 1776, he had already made a name for himself, publishing a popular weekly newspaper.
That year, he secured a contract for printing with the Second Continental Congress and on the 4 July 1776, the congressional president, John Hancock, ordered Dunlap to print the newly agreed Declaration of Independence.
The 200 copies printed by the Tyrone man became known as the Dunlap Broadsides.
'Enduring ties'
An PostThe US Ambassador to Ireland Ed Walsh said the "stamp is a meaningful tribute to Ireland's role in America's founding story".
"Irish Americans fought for our independence, helped design and build the White House, served with distinction in our armed forces, and contributed to American public life and innovation.
"As we mark this milestone, we recognise the strong and lasting friendship between our nations," he added.
The Minister for Culture and Communications in Ireland said Dunlap's story reflects the "profound influence of the Irish diaspora in shaping pivotal moments in global history".
Patrick O'Donovan said the stamp is a "reminder of the deep and enduring ties" between Ireland and the US.
He added: "The ideals expressed in the Declaration of Independence - liberty, equality and democratic self-determination - resonated far beyond America's shores and would later find powerful expression in Ireland's own struggle for independence."
