Battle of the Boyne

July 1, 1690

William III defeated his father-in-law the deposed James II at a river crossing in eastern Ireland. The victory secured Williamite rule in Ireland and the Protestant ascendancy that would dominate the island for two centuries. The battle is still commemorated annually by Ulster Protestants with drums and bonfires, a reminder that seventeenth-century wounds can remain raw for a very long time.