Image caption: Gracehill Moravian Church is one of five Moravian churches in Northern Ireland
The Taj Mahal, the Great Wall, the Egyptian Pyramids, and now Grace Hill.
What do they all have in common?
A Moravian village in County Antrim has been given special status by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and has joined the ranks of World Heritage Sites around the world.
The village was founded 264 years ago and is the only entirely Moravian settlement in Ireland.
Article information Author: Sean Patrick Mulryan Role: BBC News NI
July 26, 2024
It will be the first site in Northern Ireland to be designated a World Heritage Site.
The Giant’s Causeway rock formations, also in County Antrim, have been a World Heritage Site since 1986.
Image courtesy of David Johnston
Image caption: Gracehill Trust chairman David Johnston and his wife Sally-Anne visit the Bharat Mandapam Conference Centre in New Delhi for the UNESCO launch.
One of the oldest Protestant denominations, the Moravian Church spread to Britain and Ireland from Central Europe in the early 18th century.
Grace Hill still has an active Moravian community with its own bishop.
The village’s UNESCO inscription is part of a transnational inscription that also includes Moravian sites in the United States, Germany and Denmark.
David Johnston, chairman of the Grace Hill Trust, was in India’s capital, New Delhi, to attend the announcement by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, along with representatives from the governments of the United States, Denmark, Germany and the UK.
“The honour of being inscribed on the World Heritage List is hugely good news for the whole of Northern Ireland and something that we can all share and be proud of,” he said.
It has taken Gracehill residents more than 20 years to achieve this cultural status.
“The community has been focused on quietly working with local, national and international partners to highlight the significant heritage that exists at Gracehill,” Dr Johnston added.
“It’s been a really tough journey, both physically and metaphorically, but clearly a very worthwhile one. We see this listing as a gift to the people of Northern Ireland.”
Video caption: Grace Hill becomes UNESCO World Heritage Site
“Our neighbors don’t know our history.”
Sarah Groves, bishop of Gracehill Moravian Church, said she was pleased the village’s traditions had been recognised.
“After so many years of hard work, it’s finally all paying off and I feel both joy and relief. The community here is excited,” she said.
“This demonstrates the local, regional and international importance of our history, buildings, layout, archives and our living culture and beliefs.”
Image courtesy of Jackie Neal
Image caption: Jackie Neal hosts a tour of the village
Local assistant archivist Jackie Neale hopes the village’s history can now be shared more widely.
“We have people coming from all over Northern Ireland and we hope more people will come and see the village,” she said.
“Even people who live close to Ballymena know nothing about the village’s history.”
Hopes for economic revitalization
Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Cllr Beth Ager, believes Gracehill’s new status will boost the borough’s global profile.
She said it would support the economy and have a positive impact on education, quality of life and civic pride.
“The inscription of Northern Ireland’s first World Heritage Site is an unprecedented achievement for domestic and international tourism,” she said.
Regions Secretary Gordon Lyons welcomed the announcement as a reminder that “Northern Ireland has a fascinating heritage that is worth exploring”.
Unionist North Antrim councillor Cian Mulholland said it was a “fantastic achievement” and hoped the “international recognition” would attract tourists to the village.
TUV leader Jim Allister said it was a “deserved honour” for Gracehill and “highlights its uniqueness and importance to the wider community”.
The Church of Ireland sent its congratulations to “friends and colleagues in the Moravian community.”
