Williamite War in Ireland

The Williamite War is the title used in British history to describe the war waged in Ireland by King William III against King James II and his supporters (who had retained much of the control of Ireland following the conspiracy, known as the ‘Glorious Revolution’ that overthrew James). The war in Ireland was known as Cogadh an Dá Rí - the War of the Two Kings. Indeed, the titles used to describe this war still vary in usage, depending on historical perspectives, as it is also described as the ‘Jacobite War in Ireland’ and the ‘Williamite - Jacobite War in Ireland’ or simply the ‘Williamite war in Ireland’.

The Latin for James, Jacobus, was the root of the word Jacobitism, the political movement seeking to restore the Catholic Stuarts to the throne of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland. Although the followers of the movement were described as Jacobites, this did not necessarily indicate their Christian denomination, but most were Roman Catholic.

The series of Jacobite wars fought in Ireland and Scotland, aiming to restore the Stuarts, was supported by foreign powers, notably France, and were indeed conflicts within the wider scope of the War of the Grand Alliance, also known in British history as the Nine Years’ War.