The Battle of the Boyne – was it a minor sectarian squabble between two royals of different religion or, was it a battle the outcome of which would have unimaginable consequences for the future of Europe and indeed the world? Few people in Ireland today either fully know or understand the events or reasons that were to lead William and James to the banks of the Boyne on that sunny morning of July 1^st, 1690. William would triumph and create the myth that he had come to save the Irish Protestants. But, on that morning nothing could have been further from William’s mind: he did not want to be in Ireland, and he most certainly did not want his troops to be in Ireland. William desperately wanted to be in Holland where he had much more important work to be doing.

Europe of the late 17^th century was a much different place from the Europe of today. Protestantism was still a young religion centred in Northern Europe and surrounded by Catholic countries and empires. Catholic and Protestant alike believed deeply in their chosen faith. Europe had become a battleground between the faiths for political as well as religious reasons. The main power blocks at this time were France under its king, Louis 14^th, Spain and its possessions, the Austrian Empire and the Pope of Rome with his territories. All were mainly Catholic, but were distrustful and wary of each other. The other main power block was centred in Northern Europe with Holland and its Prince, William of Orange, as its leader.

Louis of France hated the Protestants and wished to destroy them, and conquer their lands; he also had ambition to become the leader of all Europe. Because of this the other powers feared and distrusted him, and worried that if he defeated the Protestants the way would then be clear for him to turn his attentions to their lands. Louis even had the ambition to become the leader of the Catholic Church, much to the dismay of the Pope. But first, to achieve his ambitions, Louis would have to defeat the Protestants and their armies, and this seemed highly unlikely. Unlikely, that is, until the death of the English king, Charles II, in 1685. Charles, a Protestant, died without an heir leaving James to inherit the crown, and James was a devout Catholic.

Such a situation had been foreseen by the English Parliament and church, which had already taken steps to limit James’s power. But their measures were ignored by James who became more and more blatant in his moves to replace leading Protestants in the country, army and navy, with his Catholic supporters. Although further minor steps were taken to limit James the general feeling was that as James was getting on in years, his daughter and heir, Mary, would come to the throne on his death – and she was a Protestant, married to Prince William in Holland. Imagine the dismay then when it was announced that James’s wife, the Queen, was pregnant, for such a child when born, if male, would not only inherit the crown, but also be brought up in the Catholic faith. The fear of a new Catholic dynasty united the English Protestants against James.

Prior to this, minor conspiracies had been working against James, who was not behind the door at organising the odd conspiracy himself in order to gain loans and support from France. James had let it be thought that France and England could form an alliance. Louis was eager, but such a thought horrified the rest of Europe. With the added power of the English army and navy Louis would be in the position to defeat the Protestants and then turn his attention to the rest of Europe.

William had been approached a number of times to come to England and take the crown from James. He had refused, in the knowledge that on James’s death his own wife Mary would inherit the crown. Now, with the imminent birth of a Catholic heir all had changed and the very existence of the Protestant faith put in danger. William, now assured of English support, sailed for England. But, as he sailed he carried with him the blessings of the Pope and other Catholic rulers of Europe.

Upon landing in England the ranks of William’s army were swelled by welcoming English Protestants. James was hesitant – advanced, retreated and finally fled to seek refuge in France. Captured before he could escape James was imprisoned, but quickly allowed to escape and get to France. After all, he was William’s wife’s father. England secure, William now hoped to return to Europe and his army fighting Louis.

The English Parliament had other ideas. They imposed a settlement on William that gave Parliament more power. William was forced to stay in England while these problems, and the problems of Scotland, were sorted out. Meanwhile, conflict raged in Ireland where James was still king.The Protestants were forced onto the defensive and were under siege in Derry. James landed in the south with a small French force and gathered an army.

William could not return to the European war while this army was poised to enter England by the back door. Before William could return to Europe he had to first defeat James’s army in Ireland. James saw in Ireland a last chance to regain his lost crown and although the vast majority of the Irish were Catholic, James detested them, and looked upon them as barbarians. The Irish likewise had no love for the English king, but he was at least a Catholic, and in return for their support could return their lost lands. So it was that both the king and his army saw in each other only a means of regaining their lost possessions.

To William, Ireland was an unwelcome irritant delaying him from his main purpose of defeating Louis. When William landed in Carrickfergus on 14^th June 1690, he was welcomed as the saviour of the Protestant people, yet he was prepared to return to the Catholics much of their confiscated lands.

In his army he had many Catholics, and some of the most notable Irish lords of the time. Just over a fortnight later the two armies met at the Boyne. James again showed no real stomach for the fight and fled the field leaving his troops to their fate. James returned to France, but the fighting in Ireland continued for another year before the surrender at Limerick. In the treaty there was a clause to return land to the Catholics, but the Protestant Parliament in Dublin refused to agree to the clause. William could not change their minds, but because of his efforts on their behalf, when he died in 1702, he was little mourned in Ireland by either Catholic or Protestant.

When news of William’s victory at the Boyne reached Europe it was widely welcomed. In the Austrian Empire, which was Catholic, the Emperor ordered that a te deum be read at mass in every church throughout the Empire. (A te deum is a well-known Latin prayer of thanks often used on solemn occasions). William and Mary now ruled a secure England. Mary stayed in England while William carried on the war in Europe. When Mary died in 1698 William’s long stays in Europe led to much of the power in running the country being delegated to politicians, (the first cabinet).

Louis’ dream of ruling a Catholic Europe would never be realised. It’s also ironic that now, after over 300 years, the people of Ireland both Protestant and Catholic can have such altered perceptions of William, who at his death was reviled by most Irish Protestants and is now a revered here, yet while he had sympathy for the Catholic grievances they now hate his memory.

But, to get back to the original question. Was the Battle of the Boyne merely a sectarian squabble between two kings or was it a major battle that would forever alter the destiny of the world? Ponder the following points:-

Had William lost the battle the system of Parliamentary rule by cabinet that evolved while William was off fighting, and which Britain has given to so many other countries of the world, would never have been able to evolve.

At a time when so many new lands were being discovered and settled throughout the world, if James had won the battle and become the junior partner in a French/English alliance, would the Anglo/French wars in North America ever have taken place? Would the British Empire have ever existed? Would N. America, Australia, New Zealand and the English speaking parts of Africa now be speaking French?

Would the Catholic Church have split - as it had previously - in two with a Pope in Rome and a Pope in Paris?

All these things would have been possibilities had Louis achieved the power he craved. Victory for William at the Boyne ensured Louis never achieved victory in Europe. It achieved for so many countries throughout the world their parliamentary and legal systems, language, and in many instances, the very people who settled them.

Had William lost the Battle the world would be a vastly different place than what we know today. Many commentators would have us believe the Battle was a sectarian irrelevance, long over and better forgotten, but the Battle of the Boyne should never be forgotten. When William III, Prince of Orange, emerged as victor on that bright July morning so many years ago, he laid the corner stone of the world we know today. The sectarian divisions in Ireland were not of his making of his wish.