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Siege of Derry 1689

Siege of Derry: WALKER p187 VIEW OF LONDONDERRY DURING THE SIEGE OF 1688-89
Image: Unknown, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Marker: recorded battle location (no official boundary).

Key facts

Date1 August 1689Wikidata
Date (year)1689Wikidata P585 point in time
Century17th centuryderived
PeriodJacobite & laterderived
CountryNorthern Irelandderived
War / conflictWilliamite War in IrelandWikidata

About the battle

The siege of Derry in 1689 was the first major event in the Williamite War in Ireland. The siege was preceded by an attempt against the town by Jacobite forces on 7 December 1688 that was foiled when 13 apprentices shut the gates. Closing the gates was an act of rebellion against James II.

The second attempt began on 18 April 1689 when James himself appeared before the walls with an Irish army led by Jacobite and French officers. The town was summoned to surrender but refused. The siege began. The besiegers tried to storm the walls, but failed. They then resorted to starving Derry. They raised the siege and left when supply ships broke through to the town. The siege lasted 105 days from 18 April to 1 August 1689. It is commemorated yearly by the Protestant community.

Visiting the battlefield

The Siege of Derry, like the Battle of the Boyne, is part of Northern Irish Protestant folklore. The siege is commemorated by two parades: the Shutting-of-the-Gates Parade and the Relief-of-Derry Parade.

The shutting of the gates by 13 apprentices, which happened on 7 December 1688, is commemorated each year on the first Saturday of December, dubbed "Lundy's Day". The commemoration is organised by the Apprentice Boys of Derry, a Protestant association. The day usually starts with the firing of one and then three cannon shots, meaning 13, from the walls at midnight on Friday.

Location

  • Recorded location (Wikidata; may be approximate): 54.9940, -7.3260

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Text adapted from the Wikipedia article Siege of Derry (revision 1379049514), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: excerpted from the article lead section and section(s) “Commemorations”; condensed by selecting paragraphs; citations removed. No text added.

Battle location from Wikidata (CC0).

Nearby battlefields

Other battles of the Williamite War in Ireland

All battles of the Williamite War in Ireland →

Browse more: battles in Northern Ireland · Jacobite & later · 17th century battles

Further reading