The Battle of the Boyne is a battle in 1690 between the forces of the deposed King James II of England, and those of Dutch Prince William of Orange who, with his wife Mary II (his cousin and James's daughter), has acceded to the Crowns of England and Scotland in 1688.
The battle takes place across the River Boyne near the town of Drogheda in the east of Ireland, and results in a victory for William.
This turns the tide in James's failed attempt to regain the British crown and ultimately aids in ensuring the continued Protestant ascendancy in Ireland.
The battle takes place on 1 July 1690 O.S..
William's forces defeat James's army, which consists mostly of raw recruits.
Although the Williamite War in Ireland continues until October 1691, James flees to France (again) after the Boyne, never to return.
The symbolic importance of this battle has made it one of the best-known battles in the history of the British Isles and a key part of the folklore of the Orange Order.
Its commemoration today is principally by the Protestant Orange Institution, which records the first commemorative parades as having been held in 1791.
