1681- Oliver Plunkett was hanged, drawn and quartered in London.

1690- The Battle of the Boyne was fought between the forces of James II, consisting of Irish, French, German and Walloon troops and those of William of Orange, consisting of Irish, English, Dutch, German and Danish troops. Ironically, Pope Alexander VIII welcomed the victory of the Protestant William of Orange, it being seen as a defeat for their common enemy, Louis XIV of France.

1857-Colonel James Travers of the 2nd Bengal Native Infantry charged a battery of rebel guns at Delhi, during the Indian Mutiny, with only five men to support him, and drove the gunners off. For this action he was awarded a VC.

1867-Thomas Francis Meagher, 1848 rebel leader and American Civil War General, died in the US.

1915-Capt Gerald O’Sullivan, 1st Bn Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers led an attack at Gallipoli to recapture a trench during which, in order to use his grenades effectively, he exposed himself to enemy fire and was wounded. He was killed at Suvla on August 21st.

Sgt James Somers born Belturbet, Co. Cavan, serving in the same battalion bombed the Turks out of a captured sap and held them at bay until a barricade could be erected. He too earned his VC and survived only to die at home in Modreeny, Co. Tipperary in 1918.

1916- In France the Somme offensive began. 20,000 soldiers died on the bloodiest day in British history. The 36th (Ulster) Division suffered 6,000 casualties attacking and holding the Hohenzollern Redoubt near Thiepval Wood. The Battle of the Somme would last until 20th November, killing 1 million Allied and German soldiers. 12,000 Irishmen among them. James, John, and Samuel Donaldson, were three brothers killed whilst serving with B Company, the 13th Bn, Royal Irish Rifles. They were from Comber, County Down. In the 12th Bn Royal Irish Rifles, died brothers James and John McGowan from Ballymena, Co. Antrim.

Of ten Victoria Crosses earned by British soldiers on the first day of the Somme, four were awarded to soldiers of the 36th Ulster Division. Three of them were posthumous, only Robert Quigg lived to tell of his battalion's three attacks on the Hohenzollern Redoubt that day.

Irish VC winners on the first day of the Somme.

Pte William McFadzean, 14th Bn Royal Irish Rifles. He threw himself on top of a grenade in a crowded forward trench as his battalion waited to go over the top. A box of grenades had spilled and some of the pins had fallen out.

Capt Eric Bell, 9th Bn Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers attacked the German trenches by throwing mortar bombs into them, when under heavy fire and despite the fact that other troops were pinned down. He was killed while trying to reorganise a group of leaderless soldiers.

Lt Geoffrey Cather, 9th Bn Royal Irish Fusiliers, won his VC for rescuing wounded men on the 1st and 2nd of July. He was killed bringing water to a wounded man on the morning of the 2nd.

Rifleman Robert Quigg, 12th Bn Royal Irish Rifles won a VC for going out into No Mans Land seven times to search for his platoon commander, who had been wounded. Each time he brought back a wounded man. He worked under enemy fire for seven hours.

1998-The new Northern Ireland assembly met for the first time, electing David Trimble as First Minister and Seamus Mallon Deputy First Minister.

There is a fine new statue of Meagher on the quays at Waterford.

Lestat wrote:

1690- The Battle of the Boyne was fought between the forces of James II, consisting of Irish, French, German and Walloon troops and those of William of Orange, consisting of Irish, English, Dutch, German and Danish troops. Ironically, Pope Alexander VIII welcomed the victory of the Protestant William of Orange, it being seen as a defeat for their common enemy, Louis XIV of France.

Didn't the pope send troops? I always liked the story that more troops came from Rome to the Protestant side than from Northern Ireland. Does anyone know if it's true?

905 wrote:

Didn't the pope send troops? I always liked the story that more troops came from Rome to the Protestant side than from Northern Ireland. Does anyone know if it's true?

As far as I know the Papal States didn't send troops to Ireland although the Pope and William of Orange were mutual enemies of Louis XIV and allies in the League of Augsberg.

Interestingly though, the regiment that became the Royal Irish Regiment, that's the old one-the 18th Foot, not the modern one, happened to be stationed in England at the time of the Glorious Revolution. It and it's Catholic troops were co-opted into William's army and fought at Killiecrankie, the Boyne and Aughrim. So Catholics did fight for King Billy and no doubt there were Protestants who fought for James.