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City to be focal point of Orange trail
LONDONDERRY is set to become a focal point for a new tourism initiative launched by the Orange Order.
The Williamite Trail follows the 1690 route of King William and his Army both before and after the historic Battle of the Boyne.
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.
"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."
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Weather for Londonderry
Sunday 27 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 12 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 13 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: South east
