Patrick Sarsfield

Siege_of_Limerick_1690_army_202607131036

Surrender Refused

Gerard Hannan 3 weeks ago

Limerick formally entered a state of siege on 9 August 1690 when William III’s army moved from its camp near Cahirconlish and established itself before the city. William sent a summons demanding surrender to Alexandre de Rainier de Droué, Marquis de Boisseleau, the French officer entrusted with commanding the Jacobite infantry within Limerick. The decision placed the city’s inhabitants, soldiers and defences at the centre of the war following the Boyne. William expected the remaining Jacobite resistance to collapse, but Limerick’s position behind the Shannon and the presence of a substantial garrison offered the defenders a final opportunity to continue the campaign.

Read Article

Jacobite_soldiers_withdrawing_Li…_202607131038

Shannon Retreat

Gerard Hannan 3 weeks ago

Limerick became one of the principal centres of Jacobite resistance after William III’s victory at the Boyne on 1 July 1690 forced the Irish army to abandon the eastern approaches to Dublin. James II departed for France, but most of his surviving soldiers remained under arms and withdrew westwards towards the River Shannon. Some gathered around Athlone, which guarded an important crossing into Connacht, while the larger concentration developed around Limerick. The city’s walls, river position and access to the western counties offered the Jacobites a defensible base from which the war might continue despite the loss of Dublin.

Read Article