4. King James II and VII flees to France from Ireland
In the summer of 1690 Jacobite troops and those of King William engaged each other in Ireland at the Battle of the Boyne. The Jacobite army was ill-prepared for battle, with most of its troops recently recruited to the cause. Nonetheless the Jacobite Irish controlled all of Ireland with the exception of Ulster by 1690, and James enjoyed the support of the majority of the Irish population. The contending armies were commanded by the opposing kings, with William at the head of the British-Scot-Dutch army while James was in personal command of his forces, including French troops dispatched to support the Jacobite monarch by Louis XIV, King of France and cousin to James. Both kings were experienced soldiers and leaders, though William had never led an army in a major battle to that time.
About 50,000 men participated in the Battle of the Boyne, or rather were present when the battle took place. William outmaneuvered the Jacobite troops, which withdrew from the battlefield despite taking relatively low casualties. Less than 2,000 total casualties were suffered by both sides, though many wounded were killed as they lay on the battlefield by opposing troops. A victory for William, it was not a total defeat for the Irish, though James fled to Duncannon and thence to France, never to return to Ireland. His supporters however were encouraged, and continued to resist William’s army by establishing defensive positions along the River Shannon. James was allowed to flee unhindered by the victorious William, in part because James was the father of his wife, Mary. James’ departure to France earned him the disgust of the Irish with which he is still regarded, often referred to with a scatological nickname.