Director Profiles

Mary Anderson
Chairperson of Bushmills Ulster Scot’s Heritage

Mary was born near Ballymoney, attended Dalriada School and Stranmillis College, Belfast.

She is a retired Primary Teacher having taught in the Bushmills area for over thirty years.

She is currently Secretary of Bushmills Community Association, Director and Honorary Secretary of Bushmills THI, President of The Friendship Force of the Causeway Coast and a member of Bushmills PWA.

Jackie Cole
Secretary, Bushmills Ulster Scots Heritage

Jackie, who was born in Bushmills, is a retired teacher. She started her education in the local primary school before going to Victoria College, Belfast and Stranmillis Teacher Training College.

After graduating she returned to teach in her old primary school in Bushmills.

She then got the travel bug and went on to teach overseas in Germany, Iran, Greece, Mexico, Brunei and Singapore.

When her husband retired they came back to Bushmills where she helped him set up the Causeway Branch of the Chernobyl Children Appeal charity. She has also been secretary of the local Hospice Support Group for the last eight years.

Helen Dunlop
Treasurer of Bushmills Ulster Scots Heritage

Helen was born in Ballyness and educated at Bushmills Primary School and Victoria College Belfast. She graduated Queens University Belfast with Msc in Town and Country Planning and became a chartered town planner working for Londonderry Town Council, the department of the environment in Coleraine and Omagh Town Council. Helen also qualified as a Blue Badge Tour Guide with membership to the Institute of Tour Guides (M.I.T.G) and is currently working as a tour guide in Old Bushmills Distillery as well as running a Bed and Breakfast business at Ballyness and volunteering in the Oxfam shop in Coleraine.

Helen is also a member of Bushmills Community Association, the local history group, the Peace group and the Hospice support group.

Derwyn Brewster
Vice Chairperson of Bushmills Ulster Scots Heritage

Derwyn was born and raised in Bushmills village and attended Bushmills Primary School and Dunluce Secondary School. He is a very active member of the local community and as well as being Vice Chair of the Bushmills Ulster Scots Heritage he is Chairperson of Bushmills Residents and Environmental Forum and a member of the Bushmills Trust.

Robert McIlroy
Vice Treasurer of Bushmills Ulster Scots Heritage

Robert was born and raised in Bushmills where he has lived all of his life. He worked for Allied Bakeries for over 26 years, the last 15 of which he spent as Sales Manager to the whole North West area. Robert is a local councilor and he first became a member of Moyle District Council in 1986. He has acted as Chairman on 2 occasions. Robert is also a member of Moyle Enterprise Company, the Bushmills Trust and the Bushmills Community Association.

Ross Wilson

Ross Wilson is an artist and lives and works in Northern Ireland. He graduated with a first class honours degree in Fine Art from the University of Ulster, and went on to receive his Masters from the prestigious Chelsea School of Art, London. He believes that an artist can be rural based yet still operate within the International Art World. Since 1980 he has had 30 solo exhibitions and has been included in many important collections worldwide. He has been a guest speaker at both Harvard and Oxford Universities. 1997 saw Ross Wilson’s first public sculpture commission in bronze being placed at the Waterfront Hall Belfast. In 2004 Ross, in partnership with the residents of Dundarave Bushmills created the Ulster Scots Sculpture, The Alphabet Angel, the first sculpture of its kind in the world to mark the importance and relevance of the Ulster Scots tongue.