For More Events on This Day in Irish History - https://thisdayirishhistory.com/april-18/Welcome back to This Day in Irish History.
I'm your host, Raymond Welsh. Before we dive into today's story, if you’d like to explore other significant events that happened on this day in Irish history, visit thisdayirishhistory.com—the link is in the episode description. Now, let’s journey back to April 18, 1689, when the deposed King James II arrived before the walls of Derry, triggering one of the most dramatic and enduring episodes in Irish—and British—history: the Siege of Derry.
To understand the Siege of Derry, we must first look at the broader conflict in which it took place—the Williamite War in Ireland. This war, spanning from 1689 to 1691, was part of a much larger European struggle between Catholic absolutism and Protestant constitutionalism. At its heart was a battle for the English, Scottish, and Irish thrones between the Catholic King James II and his Protestant son-in-law, William of Orange, who had deposed James during the Glorious Revolution of 1688.
James, determined to reclaim his crown, saw Ireland as his most promising base of operations. With the support of Irish Catholic nobles and troops supplied by his ally, King Louis XIV of France, James landed in Kinsale in March 1689. His goal: to reassert control over Ireland and use it as a launchpad to invade England. As he moved northward, Protestant strongholds in Ulster braced for confrontation. Chief among these was the city of Derry—officially Londonderry—a bastion of Protestant resistance.
The people of Derry had already made their intentions clear the previous December. When Lord Antrim's mostly Catholic regiment approached the city, thirteen apprentice boys famously slammed the gates shut, defying James’s authority. That act of youthful defiance would become legend and set the tone for what was to come.
By the time James himself arrived at the city gates on April 18, 1689, with a sizeable force and high hopes of a swift surrender, the defenders were resolute. Standing atop the walls, they shouted a defiant cry that would echo through the centuries: “No Surrender!” It was both a political statement and a solemn vow—Derry would not yield.
What followed was a siege that would last for 105 harrowing days. With the River Foyle blockaded and supplies running dangerously low, the people of Derry faced starvation, disease, and relentless bombardment. An estimated 8,000 of the city’s original population of around 30,000 died during the siege. Bread was replaced with rats and leather. Children perished. The smell of death hung thick in the air. And yet, the defenders held on.
James II, frustrated by the city’s resilience and plagued by poor coordination with his French allies and Irish commanders, ultimately left the siege to others. The Catholic forces under General Richard Hamilton and the French commander, Marshal de Rosen, continued to press the attack, hoping to break the city’s spirit. But Derry’s defenders, under the leadership of Governor George Walker and Major Henry Baker, stood firm.
Relief finally came on July 28, 1689, when the Mountjoy, a supply ship sent by Williamite forces, broke through the river boom blocking the Foyle. As the ship docked and its provisions were unloaded, church bells rang out across the devastated city. The siege was over. Derry had survived.
The implications of the Siege of Derry were immense. Militarily, it was a morale-boosting victory for the Williamite cause and a major setback for James II. Politically and symbolically, it cemented the city’s place in Protestant memory. The cry of “No Surrender” became a defining slogan for Ulster unionism, echoed in parades, murals, and commemorations for generations. The Apprentice Boys of Derry, formed in the 18th century, continue to honor those original thirteen boys who shut the gates in 1688, keeping the memory of the siege alive.
Of course, the memory of Derry is deeply contested. To many Irish nationalists, the siege represents the beginning of a long and painful period of Protestant ascendancy and Catholic exclusion. For unionists, it remains a proud moment of defiance, heroism, and religious freedom. As with so much of Irish history, the events of April 18, 1689, are remembered in very different ways—but remembered they are.
Thank you for joining me on this journey through Ireland’s rich past. Please like and subscribe, and until next time, I’m Raymond Welsh—Slán go fóill!
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