This, the British phase of the League of Augsburg war, was a result of an attempt by James II to regain his kingdom, William of Orange's to prevent him, and the desire of Louis XIV to expand the war into the British Isles. James landed with a small force in March 1689 and most of the country rapidly fell to him. William landed at Carrickfergus in June 1690 with a large army composed of seasoned Dutch, Danish, French Huguenot, and English troops. They joined forces with William's existing troops in Ireland under the command of the Duke of Schomberg, bringing the total of troops under his command to 40, 000. James's army, encamped near the Boyne river, was further reinforced by additional French contingents under the command of the Duc de Lauzun, raising his army to 21, 000 by March 1690. James, refusing the advice of his senior staff to withdraw to the Shannon, offered William battle. In the ensuing battle of the Boyne, James weakened his centre to meet a flank attack and duly lost the battle against William's main force. The Jacobites defended themselves creditably, despite heavy losses, and staved off total disaster, withdrawing in reasonable order. James's resolve did not survive, and he fled to France, never to return.
In 1691 William appointed Godert de Ginkel as his field commander and Ireland now fell to his advancing army, driving remaining resistance to the west and south-west of the country. Ginkel now advanced to besiege Athlone, which fell on 10 July. St Ruth had been appointed to command the Jacobite forces in Ireland in James's absence, and he decided to meet Ginkel at Aughrim on 12 July. In the ensuing very hard-fought battle, St Ruth was killed and the French-Irish army collapsed, and along with it James's war effort in Ireland. Nevertheless, it was not until 3 October 1692 that Limerick, the final centre of resistance, fell. Subsequent negotiations resulted in the Articles of Limerick which provided for the freedom of religious belief in Ireland, the voluntary transporting of Irish troops to France, and a general amnesty. The treaty, although recognized by the English Parliament, was rejected by the mainly Protestant Irish Assembly who introduced harsher anti-Catholic penal laws.
— John Buckley
