Who were the Wild Geese of Ireland and why did they flee?

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Who were the Wild Geese of Ireland and why did they flee?

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They were soldiers, known as Jacobites, that left Ireland after a war in 1691, sometimes known as the Williamite wars. The Jacobites fought for King James of England as he tried to get the throne. They left having lost the war and after a treaty, and also as a promise to the French King Louis XIV to help his wars against the Dutch. He had provided troops and support to the Jacobites. The term is also used broadly for soldiers who left Ireland between the 16th and 18th centuries to go to fight in wars in Europe.