Battle of the Boyne 1690
_tussen_Jacobus_II_en_Willem_III,_12_juli_1690_Rijksmuseum_SK-A-605_(cropped).jpeg){kind=link}
Marker: recorded battle location (no official boundary).
Key facts
| Date (year) | 1690 | Wikidata P585 point in time |
|---|---|---|
| Century | 17th century | derived |
| Period | Jacobite & later | derived |
| Country | Ireland | derived |
| War / conflict | Williamite War in Ireland | Wikidata |
| Participants | Dutch Republic, Jacobitism, Kingdom of France, Kingdom of Scotland, Williamite | Wikidata |
About the battle
The Battle of the Boyne (Irish: Cath na Bóinne IPA: [ˈkah n̪ˠə ˈbˠoːn̠ʲə]) took place in 1690 between the forces of the deposed King James II, and those of King William III who, with his wife Queen Mary II (his cousin and James's daughter), had acceded to the Crowns of England, Scotland and Ireland in 1689. The battle was fought across the River Boyne close to the town of Drogheda in the Kingdom of Ireland, modern-day Ireland, and resulted in a victory for William. This turned the tide in James's failed attempt to regain the Crowns of England, Scotland and Ireland and ultimately aided in ensuring the continued Protestant ascendancy in Ireland.
The battle took place on 1 July 1690 O.S. William's forces defeated James's army, which consisted mostly of raw recruits. Although the Williamite War in Ireland continued until the signing of the Treaty of Limerick in October 1691, James fled to France after the Boyne, never to return.
Visiting the battlefield
Originally, the Twelfth of July commemoration was that of the 1691 Battle of Aughrim, symbolising British Protestants' victory in the Williamite war in Ireland. At Aughrim, which took place a year after the Boyne, the Jacobite army was destroyed, deciding the war in the Williamites' favour. The Boyne, which, in the old Julian calendar, took place on 1 July O.S., was treated as less important, third after Aughrim and the anniversary of the Irish Rebellion of 1641 on 23 October O.S.
In 1752, the Gregorian calendar was also adopted in Ireland. However, even after this date, "The Twelfth" continued to be commemorated at Aughrim, on 12 July NS, following the usual historical convention of…
The Battle of the Boyne remains a controversial topic in Northern Ireland, where some Protestants remember it as the great victory over Catholics that resulted in the sovereignty of Parliament and the Protestant monarchy.
Location
- Recorded location (Wikidata; may be approximate): 53.7231, -6.4236
Battlefields are often on private farmland: please keep to public rights of way and respect landowners.
Text adapted from the Wikipedia article Battle of the Boyne (revision 1375596210), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: excerpted from the article lead section and section(s) “Commemoration”, “"The Twelfth" in Northern Ireland today”; condensed by selecting paragraphs; citations removed. No text added.
Battle location from Wikidata (CC0).
Nearby battlefields
- Battle of Julianstown 1641 · 11 km
- Battle of Tara Hill 1798 · 20 km
- Battle of Tara 980 · 20 km
- Battle of Kells 1315 · 30 km
- Battle of Tragh-Bhaile 1399 · 32 km
- Battle of Faughart 1318 · 35 km
Other battles of the Williamite War in Ireland
- Battle of Newtownbutler 1689
- Battle of Aughrim 1691
All battles of the Williamite War in Ireland →
Browse more: battles in Ireland · Jacobite & later · 17th century battles