Siege of Derry

"For context see the Williamite War in Ireland and Jacobitism."

The Siege of Derry, took place in Ireland during 1689.

In the Glorious Revolution of 1688, King James II of England (James VII of Scotland), a Roman Catholic convert, was ousted from power by his Protestant daughter Mary and her husband William of Orange.

Richard Talbot, 1st Earl of Tyrconnel, who was acting as King James' Viceroy in Ireland, was anxious to ensure that all strongpoints in the country were held by garrisons completely loyal to King James.By November 1688, the walled city of Derry was the one of two garrisons in Ulster which were not completely loyal to James II, the other being Enniskillen. The Earl of Antrim was ordered to replace it with a more reliable force. Alexander MacDonnell, 3rd Earl of Antrim, despite his age of 76, responded to this command, but wasted valuable time (several weeks) searching for men who were six feet tall or more. A regiment of around 1,200 men, known as the 'Redshanks' set out for the city several weeks later.

History recounts that 13 apprentice boys seized the city keys and locked the gates while the approaching army was within shouting distance. Whatever happened, on 7 December 1688 Antrim's regiment found the city gates locked.

On 10 December, King James fled London. He was caught, but escaped a second time on 23 December and made his way to France. James' first cousin, King Louis XIV of France, gave him support to retain his crown. In London on 13 February 1689, a gathering of English politicians calling itself a "Convention," but acting as a Parliament [ [http://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/learning/william/england2.shtml BBC] ,] declared that King James had abdicated by trying to flee on 10 December and offered the Crown of England jointly to both William and to Mary. The couple was then proclaimed King William III and Queen Mary II. On 11 April a Scottish Convention met and concluded that James had forfeited the Crown, and proclaimed William and Mary to be king and queen of Scotland. On the same day, William and Mary were crowned jointly in Westminster Abbey by the Bishop of London. The Archbishops of Canterbury and York continued to recognise James as King of England and Scotland.

On March 12 1689, James landed in Kinsale, Ireland, with 6000 French soldiers. He took Dublin and marched north with a Jacobite army of Irish Catholics and Frenchmen. The army arrived at Derry on 18 April, 1689 and summoned the city to surrender. James was rebuffed, and some of the city's defenders fired at him. The siege began, and for 105 days the city suffered appalling conditions. Cannonballs and mortar-bombs rained down, and famine and disease took their toll.

The Governor of the City, Lieutenant Colonel Robert Lundy, favoured a concession to James, writing on the 15th of April that "without an immediate supply of money and provisions this place must fall very soon into the enemy's hands." Lundy called a meeting with several of his most loyal supporters to discuss surrender. News of the meeting spread, enraging the citizens. After several weeks of guarding himself day and night for fear of his safety, Lundy slipped out of the city disguised as an ordinary soldier and made his way to Culmore from where he took ship to Scotland. The city's defence was taken up under the direction of Major Henry Baker and Colonel Adam Murray, along with the Rev. George Walker, who also held the rank of major, under the slogan "No Surrender".

Royal Navy warships under Admiral Rooke arrived off Derry on 11 June 1689 but refused to risk the boom across the river. Another 47 days later, under the orders of Major General Percy Kirke, three armed merchant ships called the "Mountjoy", "Phoenix" and "Jerusalem" sailed up the River Foyle, protected by the frigate HMS "Dartmouth" under Captain (and future Admiral) John Leake. The 'Mountjoy' rammed but did not break the barricading boom at Culmore Fort, which had been stretched across the river. This was broken by sailors in the longboat of HMS Swallow. The relief fleet was then able to sail upriver and relieved the city on July 28 1689.

The city had endured 105 days of siege during which some 4000 people (apparently about half the population) were said to have died.

The siege is commemorated annually by the Apprentice Boys of Derry who stage the week long Maiden City Festival culminating in a parade around the walls of the city by local members, followed by a parade of the city by the full Association. Although violence has attended these parades in the past, those in recent years have been largely peaceful.

ee also

*Irish battles

References

External links

* [http://www.cruithni.org.uk/feature/siege.html The Siege of Derry in Ulster Protestant Mythology]
* [http://www.apprenticeboys.co.uk Apprentice Boys of Derry]
* [http://www.maidencityfestival.com The Maiden City Festival]
* [http://www.libraryireland.com/JoyceHistory/Derry.php Another Account of the Siege of Derry]
* [http://ulster_01.tripod.com/seige.htm Londonderry - City of Refuge]
* [http://www.libraryireland.com/Derry1689/Contents.php Derry and Enniskillen in the Year 1689: The Story of Some Famous Battle-fields in Ulster - by Rev. Thomas Witherow]