The Background to the Battle

In 1653 the 12 year war (1641 - 53) ended and was followed by the Cromwellian settlement in which many Catholics who had participated in the war lost their lands. It was a bad time to be Catholic in the UK. In 1678 Titus Oates gave the authorities details of a fictitious plot by Catholics to murder the King and replace him with his Catholic brother James. Many people were executed in the extreme anti-Catholic fever that followed.

James eventually became King in 1685 and quickly found himself in conflict with his Protestant subjects. He harshly suppressed a revolt led by the Duke of Monmouth in 1685. He appointed Catholics in positions of influence. In 1688 he ordered a Declaration of Liberty of Conscience which gave permission for Catholics and Dissenters to worship freely. The move proved very unpopular. In June of that year James had a son which promised a Roman Catholic succession

In response to this some of his opponents invited his nephew and son-in-law, William of Orange to become King. William landed at Torbay on November 5 and advanced on London, James fled to France with his family. William was given temporary control of government, and in February 1689 he became King.

England and Wales pledged allegiance to William, but James retained support in parts of Scotland and in most of Ireland. In Ireland James Lord Deputy, The Earl of Tyrconnell raised an army to support James. In March 1689 James landed in Ireland, intent on using it as a base to recover the throne of England.