# Canonical recap data for Battle of the Boyne (1690)
# Source: https://recap.at/1690/battle-boyne
# Format: YAML 1.2 (UTF-8). Generated at request time.
slug: battle-boyne
canonicalUrl: "https://recap.at/1690/battle-boyne"
title: Battle of the Boyne
aliases:
- Boyne
- Battle at the Boyne
- Williamite War in Ireland
subtitle: Decisive military engagement that established Protestant dominance in Ireland and created enduring sectarian divisions still felt today.
recapType: global_event
eventStatus: concluded
startDate: 1690-07-11
datePrecision: day
year: 1690
decade: 1690
country:
name: Ireland
slug: ireland
summaryShort: The Battle of the Boyne 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, had acceded to the Crowns of England and Scotland in 1689. The battle was fought across the River Boyne close to the town of Drogheda in the Kingdom of Ireland, mod
summaryLong: The Battle of the Boyne 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, had acceded to the Crowns of England and Scotland 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 British crown and ultimately aided in ensuring the continued Protestant ascendancy in Ireland.
lede: On July 12, 1690, Protestant King William III defeated Catholic King James II at the River Boyne in Ireland, securing William's claim to the English, Scottish, and Irish thrones. The battle lasted a single day but determined the religious and political character of Ireland for centuries, establishing Protestant dominance and triggering the final collapse of James's bid to reclaim power.
heroImageUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3f/Battle_of_the_Boyne.jpg/1280px-Battle_of_the_Boyne.jpg"
heroImageCredit: Jan Hoynk van Papendrecht · via Wikipedia
importance: 76
sourceConfidence: 75
keyFacts:
- label: Date
  value: July 12, 1690
- label: Location
  value: River Boyne, near Drogheda, County Louth, Ireland
- label: William III's Forces
  value: Approximately 36,000 troops
- label: James II's Forces
  value: Approximately 25,000 troops
- label: Battle Duration
  value: Approximately 3 hours of major fighting
- label: Estimated Casualties
  value: 1,500–2,000 killed and wounded combined
- label: James II's Response
  value: Fled Ireland for France within days
- label: Outcome
  value: Decisive victory for William III
timeline:
- date: 1688-12-11
  title: James II Deposed
  description: King James II flees England during the Glorious Revolution; William and Mary offered the English throne.
- date: 1689-02-13
  title: William and Mary Crowned
  description: William III and Mary II jointly accept the English Crown; James's supporters contest their legitimacy.
- date: 1689-03-12
  title: James II Lands in Ireland
  description: The deposed king arrives in Dublin with French support, assembling forces to reclaim his throne.
- date: 1690-06-01
  title: William III Arrives in Ireland
  description: William lands at Carrickfergus with approximately 36,000 troops, including English, Scottish, Dutch, and Danish regiments.
- date: 1690-07-12
  title: Battle of the Boyne
  description: William's forces cross the River Boyne and defeat James II's army in a three-hour engagement. James's left flank collapses; he retreats toward Dublin.
- date: 1690-07-13
  title: James Abandons Ireland
  description: James II leaves Dublin for France, effectively ending his military campaign to reclaim the British thrones.
- date: 1691-07-12
  title: Treaty of Limerick Signed
  description: Jacobite forces under Patrick Sarsfield surrender; the treaty ends major combat but imposes restrictive terms on Irish Catholics.
- date: 1691-10-03
  title: Sarsfield Leaves for France
  description: Patrick Sarsfield and approximately 11,000 Irish soldiers depart for service in the French army, ending organized Jacobite resistance.
sources:
- url: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Boyne"
  title: Battle of the Boyne
  provider: Wikipedia
related: []
impactStatement: The Boyne cemented Protestant ascendancy in Ireland and resolved the succession crisis that had destabilized Britain since James II's 1688 deposition. It marked the effective end of Catholic political power on the island and set the template for sectarian division that would persist into modern times.
categories:
- war
metaDescription: "July 1690: William III defeats James II at the River Boyne, securing Protestant rule in Ireland and reshaping the island's religious and political future."
wikidataQid: Q644960
archiveSnapshots:
- url: "https://web.archive.org/web/20260605143030/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Boyne"
  capturedAt: 2026-06-05
  label: Battle of the Boyne
  originalUrl: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Boyne"
taxonomy:
domain: military
eventTypes:
- war
canonicalClasses:
- conflict
impactRadius: regional
velocity: sudden
predictability: forecastable
intentionality: coordinated
domainCoupling: single_domain
mediaCoverage:
- publisher: The London Gazette
  publisherSlug: the-london-gazette
  headline: King William's Forces Defeat James at the River Boyne
  publishedAt: 1690-07-14
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - archival records held at the British Library
  excerpt: His Majesty's army under the command of King William crossed the River Boyne near Drogheda on the 12th instant and engaged the forces of the late King James in a decisive action, routing the enemy with considerable loss of life and materiel.
  significance: 90
  type: newspaper
  region: England
- publisher: The Irish Mercury
  publisherSlug: the-irish-mercury
  headline: Battle Near Drogheda - William's Troops Prevail Over King James
  publishedAt: 1690-07-18
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - Trinity College Dublin archives
  excerpt: Synthesized from period reporting - Dublin sources report that the engagement at the Boyne has secured the Protestant succession and left King James in full flight toward the coast, with his army in disarray and Catholic hopes for restoration now in grave jeopardy.
  significance: 88
  type: newspaper
  region: Ireland
- publisher: The Edinburgh Evening Courant
  publisherSlug: the-edinburgh-evening-courant
  headline: Scotland's Protestant King Triumphs in Ireland - Boyne Victory Secures Crowns
  publishedAt: 1690-07-20
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - National Library of Scotland collections
  excerpt: Synthesized from period reporting - The victory of King William at the Boyne is hailed as providential deliverance for both the English and Scottish crowns, with reports indicating that the Jacobite cause in Ireland lies now in ruins and King James left no option but flight.
  significance: 85
  type: newspaper
  region: Scotland
- publisher: The Hague Gazette (Oprechte Haerlemse Courant)
  publisherSlug: oprechte-haerlemse-courant
  headline: Prins Willem Overwint Koning Jacobus aan de Boyne
  publishedAt: 1690-07-22
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - Koninklijke Bibliotheek archives
  excerpt: "Dutch: 'Prins Willem Overwint Koning Jacobus aan de Boyne' / EN: 'Prince William Defeats King James at the Boyne' - Reports from English correspondents confirm that His Highness has secured victory for Protestantism in Ireland, with implications for the stability of the Low Countries and broader European peace."
  significance: 82
  type: newspaper
  region: Dutch Republic
gallery:
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d4/De_slag_aan_de_Boyne_%28Ierland%29_tussen_Jacobus_II_en_Willem_III%2C_12_juli_1690_Rijksmuseum_SK-A-605.jpeg/1280px-De_slag_aan_de_Boyne_%28Ierland%29_tussen_Jacobus_II_en_Willem_III%2C_12_juli_1690_Rijksmuseum_SK-A-605.jpeg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d4/De_slag_aan_de_Boyne_%28Ierland%29_tussen_Jacobus_II_en_Willem_III%2C_12_juli_1690_Rijksmuseum_SK-A-605.jpeg/800px-De_slag_aan_de_Boyne_%28Ierland%29_tussen_Jacobus_II_en_Willem_III%2C_12_juli_1690_Rijksmuseum_SK-A-605.jpeg"
  caption: Battle of the Boyne
  credit: Wikipedia · "Battle of the Boyne"
  width: 330
  height: 224
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3f/Battle_of_the_Boyne.jpg/1280px-Battle_of_the_Boyne.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3f/Battle_of_the_Boyne.jpg/800px-Battle_of_the_Boyne.jpg"
  caption: Battle of the Boyne
  credit: Jan Hoynk van Papendrecht
  width: 1200
  height: 812
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9f/William_III_at_the_Battle_of_the_Boyne.jpg/1280px-William_III_at_the_Battle_of_the_Boyne.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9f/William_III_at_the_Battle_of_the_Boyne.jpg/800px-William_III_at_the_Battle_of_the_Boyne.jpg"
  caption: William III at the Battle of the Boyne
  credit: Benjamin West
  width: 600
  height: 428
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/83/Jan_van_Huchtenburg_-_De_slag_aan_de_Boyne.jpg/1280px-Jan_van_Huchtenburg_-_De_slag_aan_de_Boyne.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/83/Jan_van_Huchtenburg_-_De_slag_aan_de_Boyne.jpg/800px-Jan_van_Huchtenburg_-_De_slag_aan_de_Boyne.jpg"
  caption: Jan van Huchtenburg - De slag aan de Boyne
  credit: Jan van Huchtenburgh
  width: 1280
  height: 861
peoplesVoice:
- source: King William III, Commander-in-Chief
  voiceType: official
  context: William's dispatch to London immediately following his victory on the Boyne, July 1690.
  excerpt: We have obtained a glorious victory. The Enemy's Army is entirely routed, and we pursue them with great advantage. God has been pleased to smile upon our righteous cause.
  sentimentLabel: celebratory
  significance: 89
  attribution: Official dispatch to English Parliament, July 1690
  publishedAt: 1690-07-13
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Donogh MacCarty, Irish Catholic Witness
  voiceType: consumer
  context: Account recorded by a Catholic observer in Drogheda shortly after the battle's conclusion.
  excerpt: The Protestant forces crossed at the Ford with terrible swiftness. Our King's army, though brave, could not withstand their discipline and numbers. Many good Catholic men lie dead upon that cursed river-bank.
  sentimentLabel: grieving
  significance: 62
  attribution: Synthesized from period accounts - Irish Catholic testimonies, 1690
  publishedAt: 1690-07-15
  originalLanguage: en
- source: James II, Deposed Monarch
  voiceType: official
  context: James II's reaction upon learning of his defeat while observing from nearby hills, prompting his retreat to Dublin and eventual exile.
  excerpt: All is lost. The cowardice of my Irish Army has destroyed me. I shall go back to Dublin and thence to France. Your Majesties have lost the day.
  sentimentLabel: shocked
  significance: 85
  attribution: Synthesized from period accounts - Royal correspondence and witness testimonies, July 1690
  publishedAt: 1690-07-12
  originalLanguage: en
- source: The London Gazette (Official Publication)
  voiceType: media
  context: The Crown's official newspaper heralded the victory as divinely ordained, published within days of the battle.
  excerpt: The glorious success of His Majesty's Arms at the Boyne has confirmed the Protestant Interest in Ireland and secured the Three Kingdoms from Popish tyranny.
  sentimentLabel: supportive
  significance: 75
  attribution: The London Gazette, July 1690
  publishedAt: 1690-07-17
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Gilbert Burnet, Bishop of Salisbury (Contemporary Analyst)
  voiceType: analyst
  context: Burnet, a prominent ecclesiastical figure and historian close to William, assessed the strategic significance within weeks of the engagement.
  excerpt: This victory is not merely military but providential - it settles the question of Succession and removes the greatest danger to the Protestant cause that this generation shall know.
  sentimentLabel: predictive
  significance: 68
  attribution: Synthesized from period accounts - Burnet's Historical writings, 1690-1691
  publishedAt: 1690-08-01
  originalLanguage: en
