Ce n'est rien” ("The ball came close enough, but it's nothing”).At almost 40 years of age William was a battlehardened commander and a veteran of countless campaigns. In 1688, William was invited to seize James II’s throne by Protestant nobles who feared James was founding a Catholic royal dynasty. A search, which was being carried out on the River Boyne following reports that a young boy had fallen in, has been stood down. He decided to investigate the river’s crossing points for himself and was shot at by Jacobite officers. Peter and Dan Snow set the scene. NEWS & EVENTS. order back issues and use the historic Daily Express This was reformed and replaced with the Gregorian calendar, which was adopted in Britain in 1752 and added eleven days to ‘old style’ dates. James chose to make a stand at the Boyne, enshrining it as the location where, for the last time, two crowned kings of England, Scotland and Ireland would meet in battle.William was known for his sometimes reckless courage and the Boyne was no different. These were described by the army chaplain George Story as being “…half-naked with sabre and pistols hanging from their belts, like a horde of Tartars”.While most of William’s men were professional, well-paid, well-armed and recently fed, James’s Irish infantrymen were often armed only with scythes and farm tools. Predominantly Catholic Ireland readily rallied to the ‘Jacobite’ (from the Latin for James) cause.Throughout his reign, William’s focus was always firmly on his fight to bring to an end Louis XIV’s domination of Europe. Online Booking. A rout was avoided by Louis XIV’s cavalry skilfully covering the withdrawal. William of Orange plans his strategy on the eve of the Battle of the Boyne. James’s cavalry had them pinned down, but they held and James gave the order to retreat. The Battle of the Boyne remains one of the crucial, and last great battles of the Irish history. William of Orange crosses the river Boyne to confront James II's forces. France was the greatest military power in Europe at the time and Louis was William’s sworn enemy.James saw Ireland as the back door through which he could invade England and regain his crown. In Ireland, William’s victory dashed Jacobite hopes of recovering property that had been confiscated from Irish landowners since the days of But for Protestants, it secured their ascendancy in Ireland. Episode 14: The River Boyne lies 30 miles north of Dublin. The foundation stone was laid on 17 April 1736 by Lionel Sackville, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. The crowns of England, Scotland and Ireland were vital to his ongoing struggle. We look forward to welcoming you on your next visit to the Visitor Centre in Oldbridge House. But their morale was high and - thanks to Louis XIV - they had some of the best cavalry in Europe.The River Boyne lies 30 miles north of Dublin. The Battle of the Boyne ends in victory for the Williamites. Make the most of your money by signing up to our newsletter for Orangemen parade: What is the July 12 parade in Belfast? James II lands in Ireland with troops supplied by Louis XIV. We hope you find your visit here informative and interesting. The Pope was part of a ‘Grand Alliance’ against Louis XIV’s warring in Europe and supported William’s reconquest of Ireland.William’s army reflected his leadership of the Grand Alliance. By contrast James, once praised for gallantry in battle as a younger man, was in his late fifties with his best years as a military leader behind him.After four hours of fierce fighting a significant body of William’s men had made it across to the Boyne’s southern riverbank.