300 to attend Ballynahinch reunion

300 to attend Ballynahinch reunion

By David Telford

BALLYNAHINCH is bracing itself for a major invasion.

Around 300 descendants of John Rodgers, originally from Upper Crossgare, are "coming home" next month for a massive family get together.

Organisers have been involved in a painstaking process for almost two years tracing their relatives scattered across the globe and after much detailed research, telephone calls and emails, hundreds of people related to John Rodgers are making the trip.

Among the events planned for the visitors is what promises to be an emotional visit to the former Rodgers family farm at Hillhead.

A special book detailing what is being described as "one of the most comprehensive family trees ever put together" has been produced for the reunion. It also includes photographs and tales unearthed by those researching the family history.

Cousins Dickie and Billy Rodgers, who have been heavily involved in organising the reunion, said their relatives are spread across the globe in Canada, the United States, New Zealand, Australia, Egypt and, a little closer to home, the Republic of Ireland.

@Normal:Next month, many of them will be in Ballynahinch and spending time in the

@Font 1:Hillhead area where the fascinating Rodgers family story began.

And while many connected to the Rodgers family — who are believed to have been in Ballynahinch since the 1760s — have returned to Northern Ireland in recent years, they are now preparing for what Dickie has described as the "mother of all reunions." He said the market town will, without any shadow of doubt, host the biggest show in the country bar none.

Descendants of John Rogers start arriving on Friday, June 7, for a action-packed nine day trip, the highlights of which include a day at Hillhead farm five days later where the family story began over 250 years ago.

On June 15, the relatives meet up at Noel Kane's farm in Seaforde for a jamboree which will include bands, fiddlers, Scottish and Irish dancers. There will also be a massive barbecue finished off with good old fashioned apple tart.

"It has taken us a long time to get here and we just can't wait for everyone to arrive," explained Dickie. "The reunion has been co-ordinated on both sides of the Atlantic and we have also been tracing our relatives in the southern hemisphere.

"It has been tough going but the effort will have been worth it. All of the organisers have no doubt the event will be a huge success. We are just wondering if nine days is going to be enough to speak to all of our relatives," joked Dickie.

His sister Marion Boon, who lives in Canada, has also been heavily involved in organising the reunion and she has been "home" many times over the years and has been compiling the Rodgers family history for over three decades.

Dickie has been to Texas and Canada visiting his cousins and explained that it's only when he travelled thousands of miles to meet his relatives that he realised how how far the Rodgers family name has travelled since the 1760s in Ballynahinch.

"We also have relatives in Boston who are descendants of Richard Rodgers who left Hillhead at the age of 14 and ended up in Texas via Dublin, Australia and Canada.

"Richard ended up with a 72,000 acre ranch and became a very wealthy man. A prominent building in Dallas has been named after him and he has many descendants in this part of the world," explained Dickie.

He and Billy estimate they have at least 50 relatives in Canada, around 70 in Texas and up to 80 in the Boston. They describe the humble family which originated from a small farm outside Ballynahinch as "truly cosmopolitan."

Dickie added: "In addition to our global relatives, we have cousins in the Republic, Wales and England but, to our great surprise, we have none in Scotland. Given the history of Co. Down and the many people who moved to Scotland, it seems the Rodgers all went elsewhere."

Just over 100 descendants of John Rodgers met several years ago at Ballynahinch Rugby Club but well over three times that number are preparing for next month's family celebration which is being billed as the first Rodgers Worldwide Reunion.

Billy added: "The reunion is a once in a lifetime opportunity for us all to congregate together. Our relatives scattered across the globe can be assured of a warm Co. Down welcome. We just can't wait to see everyone.

"We will also be turning back time to recreate what it was like all those years ago at the family home in Ballynahinch with butter churning and bread making."

Billy and Dickie say the forthcoming family reunion will also be a bittersweet experience for the organising committee following the recent death of one of their members, Martin Rodgers.

Dickie added: "Martin always insisted that despite his failing health that the work on the reunion was to continue. We hope the events we have organised and the number of visitors will be a fitting tribute to his memory and the key role he played in organising the reunion."