Williamite war in Ireland

For the context of this war see Jacobitism and Glorious Revolution.

William Arrives - Battle of the Boyne

On August 13th 1689 William's army under Marshal Frederic Schomberg landed at Ballyholme Bay in County Down and after capturing Carrickfergus marched unopposed to Dundalk where the soldiers were ravaged by fever. James's viceroy Tyrconnell raised an army to make a stand, but there was no battle and the two armies withdrew to winter quarters. The Williamites found themselves harassed throughout this winter and in the following two years by Irish Catholic guerrillas known as "rapparees". Schomberg's troops were decimated by disease in their winter quarters, due to the cold and wet weather and their poor food supplies. Part of this was down to Schomberg's organisational shortcomings as a commander, but it was also due to the Jacobite's devastating the countryside as they retreated, leaving no supplies behind for the Williamite army. The local civilian population also suffered terribly from this tactic.

Related Topics:
1689 - Frederic Schomberg - County Down - Carrickfergus - Dundalk - Guerrillas - Rapparees

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Impatient with Schomberg's slow progress, William decided to take charge in person and arrived with a fleet of 300 ships at Belfast Lough on 14 June 1690. He landed at Carrickfergus, having mustered an army of 36,000 soldiers (including English, German, Dutch, Danish and French Huguenot troops), which marched towards Dublin. After some resistance near Newry the Jacobites withdrew to the south bank of the River Boyne, and on July 1st were defeated at the Battle of the Boyne. The Jacobite army retreated, little damaged, but demoralised and badly hit by desertion. The Williamites marched onto Dublin, Ireland's capital and occupied the city without a fight. James despaired of the prospects of victory in Ireland and rode ahead of his army to Duncannon and from there returned to France, because of this desertion James became known in Ireland as 'Séamus an Chaca' or 'James the Shit'. News of this defeat contributed to the Scottish Jacobites abandoning their struggle.

Related Topics:
Belfast Lough - 1690 - Huguenot - Newry - Battle of the Boyne - Duncannon

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William's victory at the Boyne, taken together with James' flight, might have been the end of the war in Ireland. However, William published very harsh peace terms in Dublin, excluding the Jacobite officers and the Irish Catholic landed class from the pardon he offered to Jacobite foot-soldiers. As a result, the Irish Jacobite leaders felt they had no choice but to fight on until they had recieved guarentees that their lives, property and civil and religious rights would be respected in peace settlement.

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