<Li> Cork and Kinsale </Li> <P> The Battle of the Boyne (Irish: Cath na Bóinne IPA: (ˈkah n̪ɣə ˈbɣoːn̪jə)) was a battle in 1690 between the forces of the deposed King James II of England, and those of Dutch Prince William of Orange who, with his wife Mary II (his cousin and James's daughter), had acceded to the Crowns of England and Scotland in 1688 . The battle took place across the River Boyne near the town of Drogheda in the east of Ireland, and resulted in a victory for William . This turned the tide in James's failed attempt to regain the British crown and ultimately aided in ensuring the continued Protestant ascendancy in Ireland . </P> <P> The battle took place on 1 July 1690 O.S. William's forces defeated James's army, which consisted mostly of raw recruits . Although the Williamite War in Ireland continued until October 1691, James fled to France (again) after the Boyne, never to return . The symbolic importance of this battle has made it one of the best - known battles in the history of the British Isles and a key part of the folklore of the Orange Order . Its commemoration today is principally by the Protestant Orange Institution, which records the first commemorative parades as having been held in 1791 . </P> <P> The battle was the decisive encounter in a war that was primarily about James's attempt to regain the thrones of England and Scotland, resulting from the Invitation to William and William's wife, Mary, to take the throne . It is regarded as a crucial moment in the struggle between Irish Protestant and Catholic interests . </P>

When did the battle of the boyne start