The Orange Order has unveiled a major new initiative
which it hopes will become popular with tourists in Northern
Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
The Williamite Trail is a tourist map which
follows the route of King William and his Army in 1690, before
and after the Battle of the Boyne.
The specially designed map will be available
to the public (priced £1.50) and was launched at the
headquarters of the Orange Order in Belfast, on Thursday,
May 1.
The map was designed after discussions with
historians on both sides of the border.
The route begins in Northern Ireland in Londonderry,
the location for the longest siege in British military history
and a major influence on the Williamite period.
The map then follows William and his army after
he landed at Carrickfergus and travelled southwards through
what is now Northern Ireland, stopping in Belfast, Hillsborough,
Loughbrickland and Scarva, before moving towards the Battle
of the Boyne, near Drogheda.
It was here that King William and his army of
36,000 met his father-in-law James 2nd and his 25,000 troops
in the last known battle where two Kings were on the ground
and involved in the fighting. The battle was the decisive
encounter in a war that was primarily about the attempt by
James 2nd to regain the throne of England and Scotland.
In the Republic of Ireland, the trail takes
in the Battle of Aughrim and Limerick where the treaty was
signed that ended the Williamite Wars.
The tourist trail ends in Kinsale where King
William's army, led by the Duke of Marlborough, advanced on
Charles Fort and took control of it following a 13 day siege.
The Orange Order's Education Officer David Scott
said the institution had high hopes for the Williamite Trail.
"There is a growing fascination with the
history of that period," he said.
"The Boyne Battlefield site, which is due
to open officially next week, will be a huge tourist attraction.
The Republic of Ireland's Government has put considerable
investment into preserving the site and explaining the history
surrounding the battle.
"We believe that the Williamite Trail will be an important
addition to the tourist literature that is available.
"We have been working with the Northern Ireland Tourist
Board and Tourism Ireland to seek advice on developing the
history surrounding the Orange Order in such a way as to appeal
to visitors.
"Local people or visitors will find a wealth of information
and hopefully it will encourage them to go to some of the
locations. The map covers much of the island and we believe
that it will be a major boost to the tourist industry.
"I would now appeal to the tourist authorities and the
other relevant agencies to ensure that all the sites are properly
signposted and there is something for tourists to see at the
locations.
"We all share the same history and hopefully the Williamite
Trail will help people get a better understanding of that
history.
"We have taken a lead in producing this map and now
we hope that other people will support it and enhance the
initiative."
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