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Siege of Athlone
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Athlone in central Ireland, was besieged twice during the Williamite War in Ireland (1689–91). The town is situated on the River Shannon and commanded the bridge crossing the river into the Jacobite held province of Connaught. For this reason, it was of key strategic importance.
The Williamites first besieged Athlone in 1690, not long after their victory in the Battle of the Boyne. During this siege, they were commanded by William of Orange. They were, however, unsuccessful.
The following year, the Williamites tried again to take Athlone, this time led by Dutch general Godart de Ginkel. Fierce fighting took place around the bridge over the Shannon, which the Irish Jacobite troops managed to destroy despite coming under intense fire. However, Ginkel identified another crossing upriver and sent an elite force to cross there and attack the Jacobite positions from the rear. After this, the Jacobite garrison, who had been awaiting reinforcement from the main Jacobite force advancing from Limerick, hastily abandoned their positions in Athlone.
Ginkel and the Williamites went on to confront the main Jacobite army at the Battle of Aughrim and inflicted a crushing defeat on them — effectively ending Jacobite resistance in Ireland.
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