The Siege of Derry 1689: Apprentice Boys and No Surrender

The History of Ireland: Rebellion, Empire, and Independence — Fexingo History · Jun 26, 2026 · 6m · transcript

In the spring of 1689, a small Protestant garrison and thousands of civilians barricaded themselves inside the walled city of Derry as Jacobite forces massed outside. The siege that followed lasted 105 days, reduced the defenders to eating rats and tallow, and gave the Protestant cause in Ireland its enduring battle cry: No Surrender. This episode walks through the key events: how thirteen apprentice boys slammed the gates in the face of Jacobite troops, the leadership vacuum left by the hesitant governor Robert Lundy, the failed relief attempts at the Boom on the River Foyle, the heroic…