Case Studies

Case Study 4
The Battle of the Boyne & The Hill of Tara, Ireland

Partners: TCD and OPW
Project Themes: Ethical Design for Access and Engagement; Creation and Authoring; Narrative and Play

This case study is led by Trinity College Dublin in collaboration with the Irish Office of Public Works (OPW). The OPW are particularly interested in how educational and entertaining experiences can be offered to multiple sites. For this reason, Case Study 4 will use two sites, both located in the Boyne Valley in County Meath.

The Battle of the Boyne is the name of the site as well as the battle that took place there on 12 July 1690 between the forces of the deposed King James II of England and Ireland, VII of Scotland, versus those of King William III who had acceded to the Crowns of England and Scotland in 1689. The battle took place across the River Boyne close to the town of Drogheda. King William III emerged victorious from the battle, and this victory turned the tide in King James II’s failed attempt to regain the British crown and ultimately aided in ensuring the continued Protestant ascendancy in Ireland. The Battle of the Boyne is one of the most significant events in Irish history, part of a wider struggle for power across 17th century Europe. There is a considerable number of living history displays, featuring re-enactors on site in period costumes.

The Hill of Tara is a hill and ancient ceremonial and burial site. Tradition identifies the hill as the inauguration place and seat of the High Kings of Ireland, and it also appears in Irish mythology. It is considered the jewel in the crown of the Boyne Valley landscape and has been in use for more than 5,000 years with monuments that date from the Neolithic Age to the Iron Age. Its features include a passage tomb, burial mounds, round enclosures, a standing stone, a ceremonial avenue, and there is also a church and graveyard on the hill. The oldest monument on the site is the Mound of Hostages, a 5,000-year-old passage tomb featuring megalithic art.

The Battle of the Boyne and Hill of Tara sites complement each other well. The Hill of Tara is considerably smaller than the Battle of the Boyne site yet covers a much more extended time period. As a result, it features histories from many different time periods whereas the Battle of the Boyne focuThe Battle of the Boyne and Hill of Tara sites complement each other well. The Hill of Tara is considerably smaller than the Battle of the Boyne site yet covers a much more extended time period. As a result, it features histories from many different time periods whereas the Battle of the Boyne focuses on a single event with complex political consequences. Both sites have considerable footfall, but the engagement profiles are very different. The Battle of the Boyne has a large visitor centre based in a historical mansion and gardens, whereas the Hill of Tara contains a much smaller visitor centre located in a converted church, which translates to a minimal presence of visitor services staff. The OPW cares for 780 heritage sites throughout Ireland, and only 70 of them have visitor services staff. For this reason, they seek experiences that audiences can operate themselves. This case study will contribute to Theme 1: Ethical Design for Access and Engagement through contrasting the same infrastructure at different places, and by considering the impact of the games at sensitive sites. Its primary contribution will be to Theme 6: Narrative and Play through the development of locative game mechanics and narrative conventions that fulfil the educational goals of the sites. It also makes a contribution to Theme 2: Creation and Authoring by exploring how game mechanics and narrative conventions can be captured in a tool format for reuse across sites with different characteristics, in particular sites that do not have visitor services staff.