Tourism Ireland has joined forces with the Lyric Theatre in Belfast and Hillsborough Castle to bring the critically acclaimed drama ‘Agreement’ to New York. The production will run in the Irish Arts Center (IAC) from this Thursday, 11th April until 12th May.
This is an exciting partnership that aims to promote Northern Ireland as a fantastic holiday destination in the all-important US market and shine a spotlight on the rich culture and history that has inspired artists, actors, and storytellers for generations. It will build on Tourism Ireland’s successful partnership with the Lyric Theatre in 2023, when its punk rock musical Good Vibrations ran in the IAC for five weeks during the summer.
At the end of April, Tourism Ireland will invite leading travel trade representatives and travel journalists based in New York to a performance of ‘Agreement’. Before the performance, guests will hear about the rich history and culture of Belfast and Northern Ireland and why American holidaymakers should come and visit. They will also learn about Hillsborough Castle and its new American Shared History Tour, available from this July. Other Tourism Ireland activity to promote this new tour will include email marketing and promotions on social media, as well as digital activity on IrishCentral and the website of the Irish Arts Center – shining a spotlight on Northern Ireland as a great destination to experience culture and heritage.
Helen McGorman, Tourism Ireland’s Head of Stakeholder Engagement for Northern Ireland, said: “Tourism Ireland is delighted to support this production of ‘Agreement’ running in New York this spring, celebrating not only this important historic period but also Northern Ireland’s rich arts and culture scene.
“Our partnership with the Lyric Theatre and Hillsborough Castle is another excellent opportunity to inspire American holidaymakers to visit Northern Ireland this year. The United States remains an extremely important market for tourism to Northern Ireland and the island – and arts and culture are important elements of our overall tourism offering and a key message in Tourism Ireland’s promotions.”
Jimmy Fay, Executive Producer of the Lyric Theatre, added: “The Lyric Theatre is thrilled to partner with Tourism Ireland to support our production of ‘Agreement’ to tour to the Irish Arts Center, NYC. This is not only a fantastic opportunity to showcase the immense creative talent from Northern Ireland but also a unique opportunity to tell an important and significant cultural and historical story from here. Over the past 25 years, Lyric has had its own part to play in the story and journey of the Good Friday Agreement and it is fitting that this powerful production is being shared with international audiences. We are very grateful to Tourism Ireland and all our funders for their support in helping us get there.”
Laura McCorry, Head of Hillsborough Castle and Gardens, said: “Hillsborough Castle has long been a political retreat in Northern Ireland – a place that has inspired worlds and minds to meet. The Castle has repeatedly played a central role in important political and peace negotiations, including those that led to the Good Friday Agreement. We know that visitors to the Castle are keen to learn more about this history, so we are delighted to launch a new American Shared History tour later this summer that will unpack the triagonal relationship that exists between the USA, UK and Ireland. Our visitors will walk in the footsteps of presidents, politicians and peacemakers, experiencing our shared history, as it was shaped, inside Hillsborough Castle.”
