The Battle of the Boyne Essay Example

of the battle. They were part of the League of Augsburg, which was a cross-Christian alliance meant to halt French domination of Europe, and had support from the Vatican. The war that took place in Ireland marked the beginning of a long campaign by James' Jacobite supporters, which ultimately failed, to restore the Stuarts to the British throne. Although most Jacobites in Ireland were Catholics who hoped to reclaim their confiscated land, many Protestant English and Scottish Jacobites were motivated by loyalty to the Stuart dynasty or monarchy principle (thus viewing James as being illegally ousted through a coup), rather than religion. A few English Jacobites joined James in the Battle of Boyne, and some of the German Protestants fighting with Jacobites were members of French regiments.

In a European context, the battle was not driven by religion, but rather by political, dynastic, and strategic factors. However, in an Irish context, the war was fueled by sectarian and ethnic tensions, reminiscent of the Irish Confederate Wars half a century earlier. The Jacobite cause aimed to establish Irish sovereignty, secure religious tolerance for Catholicism, and regain land ownership. The Catholic upper classes had lost their lands and rights after Cromwell's conquest, and saw King James, a fellow Catholic, as a means of restoring their autonomy and addressing their grievances. With Richard Talbot, 1st Earl of Tyrconnel as their leader, they formed an army to restore James to the throne after the Glorious Revolution.

Up until 1690, the entirety of Ireland was under their control, except for Ulster province. The majority of soldiers under James II at the Boyne were Irish Catholics. On the

other hand, the Williamite cause aimed to preserve English and Protestant governance in Ireland. They were apprehensive about their safety and possessions in the event that James and his Catholic supporters achieved power in Ireland.

The Protestants were greatly concerned about a recurrence of the Irish Rebellion of 1641, which involved numerous killings, including those of Protestant settlers. As a result, many Protestants rallied behind William III and fought alongside the effective irregular cavalry known as the "Inniskillingers," who hailed from Ulster and were referred to as "Scots-Irish." In the battle at Boyne, King James II of England, Scotland, and Ireland led one side while his nephew and son-in-law, Protestant William III (also known as "William of Orange"), led the other. William III had previously removed James II from his positions as king of England and Scotland. Despite this, James's supporters still held significant sway over Ireland and its parliament.

James was supported by Louis XIV, who did not want William, a potential hostile monarch, to become the king of England. To assist James's return to power, Louis dispatched 6,000 French troops to Ireland to support the Irish Jacobites. On the other hand, William was already the Stadtholder of the Netherlands and had access to Dutch and allied forces from Europe and Great Britain. James had previous military experience and had demonstrated his courage fighting for his brother, King Charles II, in Europe; specifically in the Battle of the Dunes (1658).

Recent historians have pointed out that William, although an experienced commander, was not one of history's greatest generals and had a tendency to panic under pressure and make impulsive decisions. This is believed to be due to

the onset of dementia which eventually consumed him in later years. Despite his military experience, William had yet to achieve a significant victory and many of his battles resulted in drawn-out and gruesome situations. One modern historian even argued that William lacked the ability to manage armies during intense conflicts. Nevertheless, William was able to succeed against the French through his skillful use of tactical maneuvers and diplomacy. His diplomatic efforts led to the formation of the League of Augsburg, a multinational coalition created to thwart French aggression in Europe. In William's eyes, his efforts to seize power in England and engage in warfare in Ireland were simply additional fronts in the larger war against King Louis XIV of France.

The most influential ally of James II in Ireland was Richard Talbot, 1st Earl of Tyrconnel, who held the position of Lord Deputy. French general Lauzun also acted as a subordinate commander for James II. Opposing them, William's second in command was the Duke of Schomberg - an experienced soldier who had previously served as a Marshal of France and hailed from Heidelberg, Germany. As a Huguenot, he was compelled to leave France following the revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685. Around 36,000 troops from different nations comprised William's army at the Boyne battle, with Schomberg commanding approximately 20,000 soldiers since his deployment to Ireland in 1689.

In June 1690, 16,000 soldiers led by William arrived. Overall, William's troops surpassed James's in terms of training and weapons. The finest infantry in William's army hailed from Denmark and the Netherlands, consisting of professional soldiers wielding state-of-the-art flintlock muskets. Additionally, a significant group of French Huguenot

troops fought alongside the Williamites. However, William did not view his British soldiers favorably, except for the Ulster Protestant irregulars who had managed to retain Ulster in the previous year.

The reliability of English and Scottish troops was questioned since their legitimate monarch was James, one year prior. They were recently raised and saw minimal battle action, making them politically unpredictable. The Jacobites had a military force of 23,500 individuals. James had regiments of French troops at his disposal but relied mostly on Irish Catholics for manpower. Despite being from the displaced Irish gentry, the Irish cavalry were exceptional soldiers in the Jacobite army. Conversely, the Irish infantry consisted mainly of untrained peasants who were conscripted to fight.

The soldiers who fought in the Battle of the Boyne were hastily trained and poorly equipped, with only a minority having functional muskets. Some even had to rely on farm implements like scythes. Additionally, the Jacobite infantry who did have firearms were using outdated matchlock muskets. The battle took place on June 11, 1690 between James II and William III. William had landed in Carrickfergus and marched south to take Dublin. Some argue that the Jacobites should have tried to block this advance in rugged terrain near Newry, which is now on the border between the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland.

Despite initially choosing to fight in a different location, James eventually stationed his troops along the River Boyne, roughly 30 miles away from Dublin. On June 29th, the Williamites arrived at the river, with William himself nearly getting injured the day before as he scouted the fords that his soldiers would use to cross. July 1st marked the

critical moment of the conflict, centering around the Oldbridge ford near Drogheda. To increase his odds, William sent approximately a quarter of his army to cross at Roughgrange, located six miles from Oldbridge.

The crossing at Roughgrange was led by Meinhardt, the son of the Duke of Schomberg. Neil O'Neill's Irish dragoons tried to stop the invasion but failed. James panicked at the possibility of being outflanked and sent half his troops and most of his artillery to counter-attack. However, both sides were unaware of the deep ravine in Roughgrange that prevented engagement. The Williamites went on a long detour, almost cutting off the Jacobite retreat at Naul. At Oldbridge's main ford, William's elite Dutch Blue Guards used their superior firepower to cross the river and slowly drive back enemy foot-soldiers. The Jacobite cavalry then counter-attacked and pinned down the Blue Guards. After securing Oldbridge, Williamite infantry held off successive cavalry attacks with disciplined volley fire, while others were driven into the river.

During the battle's second phase, the Duke of Schomberg, William's second-in-command, and George Walker were slain. The Williamites were forced to wait until their own cavalry successfully crossed the river before recommencing their advance. The Jacobite cavalry put up a fight at Donore and retreated before regrouping. The Jacobites withdrew in an orderly manner, but William had the opportunity to ensnare them at Duleek's River Nanny crossing. However, a successful rear-guard action held up William's troops.

Despite the scale of the conflict, casualty figures from the Battle of Boyne were relatively low. Out of around 50,000 participants, approximately 2,000 lost their lives with Jacobites being the majority. This is because during contemporary warfare,

most casualties occurred when pursuing a defeated enemy which did not happen at Boyne due to counter-attacks by Jacobite cavalry. However, morale was significantly impacted for Jacobites resulting in many Irish infantrymen deserting. Consequently, two days after the battle Williamites triumphantly marched into Dublin while Jacobite army left towards Limerick behind River Shannon where they were besieged.

After his defeat, James left Dublin and rode with a small escort to Duncannon, returning to exile in France. Although his army escaped relatively unscathed, James's quick exit from the battlefield enraged his Irish supporters who continued fighting until the Treaty of Limerick in 1691. In Irish folk memory, James was mockingly nicknamed "Seamus a' chaca", which translates to "Shitty James" or "James the shit".
The Battle of the Boyne was overshadowed at the time in Great Britain by the defeat of an Anglo-Dutch fleet by the French two days later at the Battle of Beachy Head, which was a more significant event in the short term. The Boyne was only treated as a major victory on the continent.

The League of Augsburg obtained its first true victory at the Battle of the Boyne, which was significant because it was the inaugural alliance between Catholic and Protestant nations. William of Orange and Pope Alexander VIII were instrumental in achieving this victory and refuted the notion, popularized by Sweden, that such a partnership was sacrilegious. The triumph inspired other nations to join the alliance and prevented France from conquering Europe. Although of strategic importance to Great Britain and Ireland as well, the Boyne signaled the end of James's ambitions to reclaim his throne through military action and ensured the

success of the Glorious Revolution. The loss also led Scottish Highlanders to abandon their support for Bonnie Dundee's Jacobite Rising.

The Williamite victory over the Jacobites in Ireland began at the Boyne, leading to British and Protestant dominance over the country. As a result, the Protestant Orange Order continues to celebrate the Boyne on the Twelfth of July. Originally, Irish Protestants commemorated their victory in the Williamite war in Ireland through the Battle of Aughrim, which took place on July 12th. This battle resulted in the elimination of virtually all Irish Catholic and old English aristocracies who had been dispossessed of lands to accommodate plantations under Elizabeth I and Oliver Cromwell.

In the old Julian calendar, The Boyne occurred on 1 July and was considered less significant than Aughrim and the anniversary of the Irish Rebellion of 1641 on 23 October. The celebration on "The Twelfth" did not glorify William's triumph against Popery at The Boyne, but rather praised the eradication of the Catholic Irish elite at Aughrim which ended the threat of yielding the planted lands. In 1752, Ireland adopted the Gregorian calendar which moved The Boyne to 12 July instead of Aughrim. However, even following this modification, "The Twelfth" still honored Aughrim. In 1795, after sectarian brutality in Armagh, the Orange Order was established and parades on July 12 shifted focus to The Boyne battle.

English language histories usually map dates before September 14th, 1752 directly onto Julian dates without adjusting them by 11 days. Despite this, the Orangemen chose to continue marching on July 12th, which in New Style dates marked the Battle of the Boyne, rather than celebrate the new July

1st anniversary or shift the Boyne anniversary to the new date. This decision was made due to suspicions surrounding anything with Papist connotations. However, smaller parades and demonstrations do occur on July 1st, commemorating the old style date of the Boyne and also honoring the victims of the July 1916 Battle of the Somme. The preference for the Boyne over Aughrim has been attributed to the Jacobites' rout, which allowed Irish Catholics to be presented as cowards, whereas at Aughrim they fought bravely and suffered significant casualties.

The resurgence of Irish nationalism in the 1790s is believed to have made the Boyne narrative more comforting for Loyalists in Ireland. As a result, many view the commemoration of the Battle as being rooted in Unionist community politics instead of its military significance. Nevertheless, Irish nationalists also find significance in remembering this battle as it marks a major step towards complete British colonization of Ireland. In 1923, members of the IRA destroyed a large monument at the Boyne battlefield site commemorating the battle and followed up by destroying a statue of William III situated outside Trinity College Dublin - located in the heart of Irish capital.

[edit] Nowadays in Ireland, "The Twelfth" is a controversial issue, particularly in Northern Ireland where Protestants see the Battle of the Boyne as a significant victory over Catholics. This resulted in the dominance of the Protestant monarchy and the Parliament's sovereignty. "The Twelfth" celebrations have been marked by confrontation in recent years, with the Orange Order attempting to commemorate the event by marching through traditional routes. However, some areas now have a nationalist majority who object to these marches passing through their territories.

This is due to population migration as rural Irish Catholics move to cities closer to potential employers. The disputes revolve around each side's claim that the other is trying to suppress them. For Catholics, it is a provocative attempt by the Orange Order to demonstrate their superiority. Meanwhile, Protestants argue for their right to walk through Queen's highway and criticize any effort to deny them their freedom to celebrate their Protestant identity secured by the Glorious Revolution settlement.

Since the start of The Troubles, the commemoration of the Battle of the Boyne has played a crucial role in raising awareness of unionist/nationalist tensions in Northern Ireland. Today, the battlefield encompasses a wide area west of Drogheda. An application for construction of over 700 houses near the Williamite crossing and Drogheda town is pending a decision by An Bord Pleanala in March 2008. The Interpretive Centre, located approximately 1 mile west of the main crossing point, serves as an educational resource for tourists and visitors and is currently undergoing redevelopment. Signage along the Jacobite line of retreat marks other locations of major conflict during the battle, including Duleek, Donore, and Plattin.

The newly-elected First Minister of Northern Ireland, the Reverend Ian Paisley, was invited by Taoiseach Bertie Ahern to visit a battle site later in the year. This development is positive for unionist and nationalist relations. Paisley viewed this as an opportunity to acknowledge progress made and learn from the past so that future generations can understand. On 10 May, the visit took place and included a gift exchange between both politicians. During this exchange, Paisley gifted Ahern with a Jacobite musket while Ahern presented Paisley

with a walnut bowl created from a tree at the site. They also planted a new tree at Oldbridge House to commemorate the event.

The text content within the is simply "[2]."