IrelandHistoryTalks

The men of Enniskillen march beyond Ulster and into a much larger war. From the fighting around Belturbet and Cavan to the banks of the River Boyne, the Inniskilling Dragoons face growing challenges as William III advances against James II.

At the Boyne, the regiment fights alongside William’s multinational army in a battle that will change the course of the war. Amid musket smoke, cavalry charges and fierce fighting around Donore, the Inniskilling men demonstrate their ability to fight both on horseback and on foot.

With Enniskillen now at the centre of resistance in Ulster, a small local defence force is drawn into a growing war. From the shores of Lough Erne to the difficult ground around Crom, Lisnaskea and Newtownbutler, the men of Enniskillen face increasingly serious challenges as Jacobite forces close in.

As their role changes from protecting their homes to fighting beyond them, so too does their future.

This is the story of how a local force began its transformation into a regiment of dragoons — and how the events in Fermanagh set them on a path that would soon take them to the River Boyne.

In 1688, the political crisis that would transform Britain and Ireland reached a turning point. James II was overthrown, William of Orange took the throne, and the Irish army began to fracture.

As James II prepared to reclaim his crown, Ireland became the next battleground.

In County Fermanagh, the small town of Enniskillen refused to submit. As the surrounding countryside descended into uncertainty, men gathered to defend their homes, families sought refuge within the town, and a local force began to take shape.

This is the story of how a crisis in the British Isles set the stage for the emergence of one of Ireland's most famous military regiments — the Inniskilling Dragoons.