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Battle of the Boyne
Julian and Gregorian Calendar
The Roman Emperor Julius Caesar laid the foundations for our modern calendar in 46 BCE. He divided the year in twelve months with fixed lengths. To keep step with the motion of the earth around the sun, the so-called tropical year he decided to add one day to February in years that are evenly divisible by four. Hence, an average year of the Julian calendar consists of 365.25 days. The actual duration of the tropical year varies due to changes of the earth's axis, scientifically known as the wobbling effect, but is set on 365.24219 days. At first glance and given the Roman state of science Julius was pretty close. In fact several Orthodox churches this calendar is still in use to calculate Easter.
In the course of the years the Julian calendar underwent some minor changes. Despite its broad acceptance there were regional differences in handling the calendar. According to the calendar 1 January was the first day of the year, while in some regions and times New Year's Day was celebrated on 1 March, 25 March or 25 December.
In the sixteenth century the small difference between the average days according to the Julian calendar and the actual days per tropical year made itself felt. In order to synchronise the calendar with the seasons and to make sure they remained synchronised Pope Gregory XIII took measures in 1582.
First he had to get rid of the accumulated extra time and he removed 10 days from October 1582; 4 October 1582 was followed by 15 October. Because Britain adopted the Gregorian Calendar not until 1752 they had to give up 11 days; 2 September 1752 was followed by 14 September.
Secondly he fine-tuned the rules for leap years. Years exactly divisible by four are leap years, except for years that are exactly divisible by 100, which are a leap year only if they are exactly divisible by 400. By this rule the average number of days per year is 365.2425, which is more accurate compared with the Julian calendar, but still not perfect. Around the year 2500 we have collected one extra day. To bring the calendar closer to perfection it has been suggested to make years divisible by 4000 non-leap years. By applying this additional rule the average year consist of 365.24225 days, which is probably as close as we can get.
After the failed Schomberg's Campaign King William III decided to come to Ireland himself to chase away King James II and his Irish-French army.
To secure the victory King William III had a virtual unlimited war chest at his disposal to pay and feed the thousand horses and 36,000 men. On 14 June 1690 the huge fleet of 300 ships dropped anchor in Belfast Lough, near the ships used by Schomberg.
Four days after disembarking the Williamites marched southwards to join with the remnants of Schomberg's army near Dundalk. The outnumbered Jacobites left their positions and retreat to the south bank of the River Boyne where they took up battle positions.
With barrage of the artillery, including the famous and feared heavy Dutch cannons that until this day can be found all over Ireland near castles and forts, King William III started the Battle of the Boyne on 1 July 1690.
The Battle of the Boyne was a quite average seventeenth century battle. Despite the river, which acted as natural barrier, King William III ordered a frontal main attack, while his cavalry lured a substantial part of the Irish-French army away from the actual battlefield. As inhumane as it may be King William III could afford a straightforward approach without cunning manoeuvres because of the numerical superiority of his army.
Commemoration Marches
The outcome of the Battle of the Boyne was not only devastating for the moral of the Irish-French Jacobite army. By the Williamite War Ireland had become the focal point of the conflict between Catholics and Protestants in Western Europe. In fact the Battle of the Boyne was merely a Dutch - French affair and not an Irish affair.
In those days the defeat of the Catholic Irish-France alliance by the Protestant Dutch army was, and in Northern Ireland still is, considered as a religious victory.
Unionist and Loyalist groups in Northern Ireland commemorate the Battle of the Boyne each year on 12 July with controversial commemoration marches. These marches are in essence provocative because the Orangemen want to follow alleged historical routes which leads through Catholic quarters. Mutual swearing is inevitable and rioting is common.
In the recent past the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), the successor of the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC), often was blamed for their partial and violent behaviour against Catholics during these marches. From 1998 onwards however the parades and routes are to be approved by the Parades Commission. In several cases this commission has decided to prohibit or to re-route parades. The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), and occasionally the army, is in charge of enforcing the decisions of the Parades Commission. This revolution has astonished Protestant marchers, Catholic residents and security forces alike. The Drumcree Church Parade is perhaps the most obvious example of this collective identity crisis.
In case you are wondering why these commemoration marches take place on the 12 instead of the first of July (and this might be a tricky exam question): with the introduction of the Gregorian calendar, which replaced the Julian calendar, in Britain and its colonies in 1752 11 days were lost.
By marching on 12 July the Unionists and Loyalists symbolically rejecting the papal Gregorian calendar. However, although the marchers assume that they are marching on 1 July of the Julian calendar they obviously forget the reasons why the Gregorian calendar was introduced and the changed rules for calculate leap years (see frame for further reading). If they really want to commemorate the Battle of the Boyne on 1 July of the Julian calendar they should march on 14 July on the Gregorian calendar.
Obviously there are numerous songs referring to the Battle of the Boyne, such as The Green Grassy Slopes.
Once the defeat was evident the Jacobites retreated orderly and they managed to stand firm behind the River Shannon. The final battle, the Battle of Aughrim, had yet to be fought.