Talk to explore dramatic history of Aughalane's Campbell family

A FASCINATING chapter of local history will be brought to life later this month as part of a series of events marking the 50th anniversary of the Ulster American Folk Park.

Organised by the West Tyrone Historical Society, the upcoming talk will examine the colourful and sometimes dramatic story of the Campbell family of Aughalane.

Historian and Campbell descendant Alan McFarland will present ‘Aughalane House – Ancestral Home of the Campbell Family’, exploring the turbulent and intriguing history associated with the family and their home.

Aughalane is a townland on the outskirts of Plumbridge. The Campbell House, originally located there, was later relocated and reconstructed at the Folk Park, where it now forms part of the museum’s historic buildings.

In his talk, McFarland will trace the Campbell story through episodes described in colourful terms such as ‘Pikes in the Thatch’, ‘Scalp Dancing in the Rocky Mountains’, and ‘Distribution of the Campbell Millions’. The presentation will look at the dramatic experiences of family members both at home in Tyrone and abroad, as well as how their ancestral house ultimately became part of the Folk Park.

The event will take place at the Mellon Centre for Migration Studies at 8pm on Wednesday, March 25. Members of the Historical Society and the wider public are welcome to attend, with £2 admission for non-members.

The talk is one of a number of events planned to mark the Folk Park’s half-century milestone.

Later in the year, railway historian Charles Friel from the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland will deliver a presentation titled ‘The Castlederg and Victoria Bridge Tramway’.

That talk will also be held at the Mellon Centre for Migration Studies on Wednesday, November 26 at 8pm.

Together, the events form part of a programme celebrating five decades of the Ulster American Folk Park and highlighting the rich local and migration history connected with the region.