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Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland
  Press Statements

Orange Delegation Visit Battle Of Boyne Site

27 November 2006

An Orange Order delegation has visited the Battle of the Boyne site near Drogheda to be given an update on the multi-million pound project being undertaken by the Irish Government.

The Battle of the Boyne was fought in July 1690 between King William 3rd and his father-in-law King James 2nd. Both kings commanded their armies in person, 36,000 on the Williamite side and 25,000 on the Jacobite side. It was the largest number of troops ever deployed on an Irish battlefield.

At stake were the English throne, French dominance in Europe and the balance of power in Ireland.

The Irish Government bought 550 acres of land around the battlefield for approximately 10M Euro. This will protect the area from further housing development on the outskirts of Drogheda. A further 10M Euro will be spent upgrading the site into one of the biggest tourist attractions on the island of Ireland.

This summer between May and September, 25,000 people including many from Northern Ireland visited the Boyne site which has still to be marketed as a tourist location.
The Orange Order delegation consisted of the Grand Master, Robert Saulters, the Grand Treasurer Mervyn Bishop and senior Orange Order members from the Republic of Ireland.

The visit was facilitated by Dr. Martin McAleese, husband of the President of the Irish Republic, and Belfast solicitor Mr Denis Moloney. A number of officials showed the delegation around the site and explained that the work should be completed by the summer of 2008.

An interpretative centre will be located inside the 18th century Oldbridge House which stands on the site and this will include a state-of-the art topographical model of the battle which will have a laser show illustrating the movement of the troops on the day.
Irish Government officials believe it will be the best model of its type at any European battlefield.

The centre will also have a library and a collection of historical paintings and books about the battle. Replica weaponry will be on display and there will be a tea pavilion.
A walled garden at the rear of Oldbridge House will be restored and horses will be kept in a number of new stables. It is believed that more than 5,000 horses were involved in the battle and it is hoped that the horses will give people, particularly children, a sense of what happened.

A new entrance is being built for the site and there will be extensive new car parking. Guided tours will be available to take people around the battlefield and explain the crucial actions on the day.

Grand Master Robert Saulters said it was fascinating to see the work that was being done at the Boyne.

"At the moment it is a bit like a construction site but the plans we were shown were impressive. I believe that this will be a major tourist attraction for people from Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland and much further afield," he said.

"Already many of our Orange brethren visit the site but when it is completed I am sure the numbers will increase dramatically.

"The work being done by the Irish Government to preserve this important site brings a very important legitimacy to the celebrations of the Orange Order and they deserve great credit for everything they are doing."

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