The Irish standard., 1910-08-27
SCENE OF BATTLE
OF THE B0YNE
The Encounter Was Fought Between
James II. and William of
Orange.
A Siege Unparalleled in History Of
Civilized Nations for it's
Ferocity.
Boyne Valley is Famed for Scenic
Grandeur and Historical
Associations.

The month of July in Ireland has
been filled with Orange festivities and
Orange talk, writes a Dublin cores
pondent of the Toledo Record.
These festivities are ushered in on
the eve Of the first day by bonfires on
some Of the hills of Ulster. But they
reach their climax on the 18th. l do
not know just what the brethren wish
to celebrate on the list; but on the
18th they commemorate the battle OF
the Boyne, and the echoes of the cele-
brations have resounded through the
remaining days of the month. All this
Boyne bluster and Boyne literature
served up daily in my morning paper
aroused my own Celtic imagination,
and 1 resolved to ask some questions
about the famous battle, and to visit
the famous battlefield. So I took the
train for Drogheda.
The old historic town lies on the
east coast, about thirty miles by rail
north of Dublin. Before setting out
looked up few points in its history
and found that the Battle Of the Boyne
was fought between two kings con-
tending for the English crown. There
were English soldiers on both sides.
The defeated king was Catholic, 1t
is true; but 1 could not see that the
Irish Catholics would have gained
much had he won. He was the last Of
the Stuarts to occupy the throne and
was as worthless as any of them.
One Irish Catholic writer whom I con-
suited refers to him as a poltroon.
Irish people up to this day have CIV
en- him a nickname in their native
language which might not look re-
fined enough printed in English. He
was a coward, too, and at the end Of
the battle 1 found on the authority of
Father Burke, that the Irish soldiers
cried out, LET us change kings and
fight it over again."
Sits Astride the River.
But to return to Drogheda. The old
town sits astride the River Boyne five
miles from it's entrance into the Irish
sea. Just at this point the river passes
between two high hills on the slopes
Of which the city is built. The first
object that attracts ones attention
on arrival is the Boyne viaduct, mag
nificent bridge carried across the river
from the summit of one hill to the
summit Of the other. 1t was erected
over fifty years ago at a cost of $780,
900 by the Great Northern Railway
Company. The land approaches are
carried upon series Of graceful stone
arches of towering height, and a lat
tice girder from this spans the river
itself at such a height as to allow
of all shipping passing under. But
had come especially interested in the
religious and historic aspect Of the
city. What I saw in Drogheda, and
indeed, throughout the whole Boyne
Valley is from the religious point of
view a strange mixture of old and new,
of ruin and reconstruction. Indeed, in
this respect Ireland differs from every
other country in the world. In other
Christian countries the reformation
had a different effect Either Cath
olicity was laid in ruins and the peo-
pie were turned to the new doctrines,
or the people remained faithful and
preserved the treasures and monu-
ments Of the past. In Ireland every
| thing was destroyed. The church was
laid in ruins, the lands conf1scated, the
converts and monasteries pillaged, the
| monuments of centuries torn down
with ruthless hand. Everything
seemed lost. But yet the faith Of the
| people had lived; and now there has
| come a period Of reconstruction where
new and beautiful edifces of all kinds
| arise on every side within call or
stones throw Of the ancient ruins.
On the Battlefield.
In the afternoon we drove out to the
famous battlefield, a distance of about
two miles up the river. The battle was
fought between James H. the last OF
the Stuart kings, and William ol