Martin asks – Why isn’t William more celebrated in Britain?

Peter Snow - William was a popular King with his troops because he was a fine general and he was popular with the people because he recognised there had to be restraints on the power of the monarch.

Norman asks - How crucial was the Siege of Derry to the Battle of the Boyne?

Peter Snow - Very important because so impressed was William by the resistance of the Protestant people of Derry that he sent an army to aid the Protestants in their fight with James.

Neil asks - What losses were incurred during the battle and by the end of the year?

Peter Snow - There were surprisingly few casualties at the Battle of the Boyne, some 1500 altogether out of some 50,000 who fought the battle, this was because so many Jacobites were able to escape. The Battle of Aughrim a year later was much bloodier.

Dermot - Why was there so much support for James in Ireland given that he was a British king?

Peter Snow - The Protestant people of Ireland saw William as a saviour but William actually was out not to save Ireland from Catholicism as much as to save his throne from James the Stuart king whom he had deposed.

Fiona asks - We know why the Battle of the Boyne is significant in terms of Irish history…but how significant is it to British history?

Peter Snow - Hugely significant because William was under threat from James and his Stuart family who had the support of Louis the 14th of France so British history would have looked very different afterwards if James had won the battle and returned to the English throne.

Celt asks - On a broader note, can we now look back on the Battle of the Boyne as the first battle defining religious freedom, which is a cause to be celebrated, regardless if you are Protestant or Catholic?

Peter Snow - The Battle of the Boyne was not essentially a battle about religion even though it happened that one side was mainly Catholic and one side mainly Protestant. It was a battle between two kings for the English throne. Interestingly William was no religious bigot, he did not favour the repression of the Catholics in Ireland.

Medbh asks – Why was James so unpopular in England?

Peter Snow - James wanted to restore the Catholic religion to its dominant position and many in England who had settled down with the Protestant faith saw James as a threat.

George asks – What do you think would have happened if King Billy had lost the Battle of the Boyne?

Peter Snow - James II, whom William had deposed, would then have been within reach of restoring himself to the English throne and restoring the Catholic faith to a position of supremacy in the kingdom.

Stephen asks - How would you rank King William as a military leader?

Peter Snow - King William was a popular leader with his troops because he cared about their conditions. His generalship was competent and at the Boyne he was lucky because any mistakes he made were massively trumped by the mistakes of his opponent James.

Pete asks - How familiar with this episode in Irish histroy were you before you started on this programme?

Peter Snow - I have always had a sketchy knowledge of the campaign that William and James fought in Ireland but it has been hugely rewarding to learn how much more complicated the story is on close examination.

Tina asks - How long did it take to film the battle scenes?

Peter Snow - We took three weeks to film the whole story of the Boyne, but we had special days, about three or four on which we filmed the battle scenes.

Fintan asks – What do you think of the way the battlefield site has been preserved? Could more be done?

Peter Snow - The Irish heritage people are doing a wonderful job on the Boyne bank itself. It would be good if there was a more comprehensive protective strip along both banks with more explanatory plaques. It is a striking battle site and still very unspoiled.

May asks - Did you find it strange working with such extensive computer graphics?

Peter Snow - More than anything else the ground breaking graphic technology allowed us to tell the story, particularly the wider story of the battle more vividly than ever before.

Tom asks - I liked the interviews with the soldiers. Was that your idea?

Peter Snow - No, to be honest I had my doubts about the interviews but I have been completely captivated by the technique of using actors who express the mood and emotions of the ordinary soldiers.

Chris asks - What would William think of how his legacy has endured in Northern Ireland?

Peter Snow - I hope that William would urge religious tolerance and understanding in Northern Ireland and perhaps he would have been horrified at the sad events of the last thirty years but I can see him welcoming the movement of peace.

William's main interest after all was the unity of his kingdom not religious division.

Fred asks - What do you think of the social implications of shows like this?

Peter Snow - I very much hope that this will make history more real for more people and that these programmes will give people a better and clearer knowledge of the past.

Longford asks - Don't you think it is time that people stop celebrating victory in a battle that occured in the 17th century?

Peter Snow - I see no reason to stop commemorating battles long past as long as people don't see it as a opportunity to cause unrest or intolerance of their fellow citizens.



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