Communities NI

Strengthening ties and building momentum in Washington, D.C. 🤝
 A fantastic morning at the recent @NI_Bureau breakfast.
 Minister @GordonLyons1 engaged with key partners, business leaders, and friends of Northern Ireland, highlighting the unique opportunities that we have to offer.

We aren't just sharing our story, we are inviting the world to be a part of our future.
 #NorthernIreland #NIBureau #USANI250 #InvestInNI #GlobalNI #WashingtonDC #StPatricksDay

FACT FILE: The Man Who Printed Liberty. 🖨 Name: John Dunlap Origin: Strabane, Co. Tyrone The Legacy: At just 10 years old, Dunlap left Strabane to learn the printing trade. In 1776, he was the man tasked with printing the "Dunlap Broadsides" - the first copies of the Declaration of Independence that spread the news of freedom across the colonies. As Minister @GordonLyons1 visits the National Archives and @LibraryCongress today, we remember the Strabane hands that gave the American dream its first physical form. #JohnDunlap #Strabane #America250 #USANI250 #UlsterScots

Minister @GordonLyons1 hails Ulster-Scots contribution to founding of the US at special reception in Washington, DC jointly hosted with the @America250 Commission.🇺🇸 👀 Find out more: communities-ni.gov.uk/news/lyons-hai… #USANI250 #America250

More than two centuries in the making… From the first ink on the Declaration of Independence to the modern partnerships shaping our future, the bond between Northern Ireland and the United States is unbreakable. This video, premiered today in Washington D.C. with @America250, traces our shared journey - from the pioneers of 1776 to the innovators of 2026. But the story doesn't end here. This year, Minister @GordonLyons1 opens Northern Ireland’s doors for a summer of celebration. Cross the Atlantic, walk the ground of your ancestors and trace your lineage as we celebrate our shared history, and to build the next 250 years together. 🇺🇸🤝 Find out more: communities-ni.gov.uk/topics/usa-ni2…

#America250 #NorthernIreland #USANI250 #USHistory #VisitNI #WashingtonDC  @NatMuseumsNI @PRONI_DFC @JoeCrowleyNY @JenMCondon @UlsterScotsAgen @DiscoverNI

FACT FILE: The Tailor Spy. 🕵️‍♂️ Name: Hercules Mulligan Origin: Coleraine, Co. Londonderry The Legacy: Long before he was a star of a Broadway musical, Mulligan was one of George Washington’s most trusted spies. His intelligence saved Washington’s life, not once, but twice. Today, as we meet with US partners to launch our summer celebrations, we celebrate the bravery and wit of Ulster’s most legendary secret agent. #HerculesMulligan #Coleraine #Hamilton #America250 #USANI250 #UlsterScots

FACT FILE: The Founding Father & Fort Namesake. 🛡 Name: James McHenry Origin: Ballymena, Co. Antrim The Legacy: A surgeon, a soldier, and a signer of the U.S. Constitution. He served as the Secretary of War under Washington and Adams, and the famous Fort McHenry, the birthplace of the U.S. National Anthem, is named in his honour. As we continue our D.C. engagements today, we look toward the legacy of leadership that started in Ballymena and ended in the founding of a superpower. #JamesMcHenry #Ballymena #America250 #USANI250 #UlsterScots

FACT FILE: The Man Who Certified American History. 🖋 Name: Charles Thomson Origin: Maghera, Co. Londonderry The Legacy: As Secretary, he was the guardian of the Continental Congress and the only person other than John Hancock to sign the first edition of the Declaration. Without his certification, the document wouldn’t have been official. This morning in Washington, we are honouring the integrity and grit Thomson brought from Maghera to the birth of a nation. #USANI250 #CharlesThomson #Maghera #America250 #UlsterScots

Minister @GordonLyons1 has hailed the enduring links between Northern Ireland and the United States and the increased focus this #StPatricksDay on the contribution of people from Ulster. 🇺🇸 👀 Find out more: communities-ni.gov.uk/news/lyons-uls… #America250

250 years ago, they didn’t just witness the birth of a nation - they printed the documents, fought the battles, and signed the Declaration. 🖋 Tomorrow, Minister @GordonLyons1 arrives in Washington D.C. to honour their legacy and invite their descendants to the ultimate homecoming. ✈ #UlsterScots #Genealogy #VisitNI #America250

🗣️ “We have so many connections between Northern Ireland and the United States. I want to make sure that we celebrate them." - Minister @GordonLyons1. As the Minister prepares for a series of high-level engagements in Washington D.C., our focus is clear: celebrating the Ulster hands that shaped America and inviting their descendants to see where it all began. Stay tuned for daily updates from the heart of D.C. 🏛 #NIinDC #USANI250 #America250

Do you have an architecturally significant property? 🤔 Minister @GordonLyons1 is calling on you to take part in this year’s European Heritage Open Days. The 2026 theme is “Heritage at Risk –Revive, Resist, Reimagine.” Revive endangered traditions. Resist threats to heritage. Reimagine new ways of engaging communities. 👇 Access to toolkits, posters, planning resources and more information: #toc-0" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">communities-ni.gov.uk/articles/europ… @COE @EU_Commission @LoveHeritageNI

Communities Minister @GordonLyons1 has praised the work of those involved in the community sector across Northern Ireland as he met some of those who have benefited through his Department’s continued investment in its Neighbourhood Renewal programme. Find out more: communities-ni.gov.uk/news/minister-…

🎥 From community support to sporting success: A whirlwind day with Minister @GordonLyons1
 In just 30 seconds, see how the Minister delivers for communities across Northern Ireland:

🤝 Community advice centres 🌱 Supporting mental wellbeing 🏆 Celebrating local athletes 
Watch the highlights below! 👇 @MEA_BC @MEA_CAS @MEAAPNI

Benefit Payment Dates - March Public Holiday. If your payment is due on 17 March, you will still be paid by that date. All benefits operate on different payment systems but you will not receive your payment later than the day it would normally be due.

You can read Minister @GordonLyons1’s full Written Statement to the @NIAssembly here: communities-ni.gov.uk/news/written-s…

Departmental response to New Decade New Approach review of COPNI recommendations: communities-ni.gov.uk/publications/d…

Minister @GordonLyons1 has made a Written Statement to the @NIAssembly on the Department’s response to recommendations made in the New Decade New Approach (NDNA) Reviews into The Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People (@NIChildCom) and The Commissioner for Older People (@COPNI). The links to each response can be found in this thread. 👇

Minister @GordonLyons1 has hailed the vision for new facilities at @ArmaghSpace. 🔭 Find out more: communities-ni.gov.uk/news/lyons-arm…

🗣️ “We all know how important sport is for physical and mental well-being.” - Minister @GordonLyons1 🎥 Last night, the Minister celebrated the achievements of local sporting superstars at @MEA_BC’s Sports Awards. 🏆 Celebrate all the winners: midandeastantrim.gov.uk/news/history-m…