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Ulster American Story shared through music and drama in Larne

Thursday June 25th 2026

A unique music and drama performance telling the story of a local man who played a formative part in American literature was staged at the historic St Cedma’s Church in Larne as part of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council’s America 250 programme.

Dr James McHenry was born in the town in 1785 and was the first novelist to introduce an Ulster family into American literature, which he did in the 1820s with the Fraziers in his novel The Wilderness.

Those involved in the presentation of ‘McHenry: An Ulster American Story from Larne’ in St Cedma’s Parish Church on June 19.

He was a contemporary of other famous American Ulster Scots such as Edgar Allan Poe and President Andrew Jackson and in his later life represented the United States as Consul in Londonderry.

The Larne man died in 1845 and is buried in the cemetery adjoining the church.

His story was literally put centre stage on Friday June 19 in a production called McHenry: An Ulster American Story from Larne, written by historian and broadcaster Dr David Hume and featuring extracts from McHenry’s writings.

The performance featured local artist Lisa Dawson, who set some of McHenry’s original pieces to music for the occasion, and dulcimer player Dick Glasgow. There were also drama and readings from Gillian Rea, Robert Stewart, David Moore and James McTeggart, well-known in the storytelling circuit in Northern Ireland.

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