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As my father put it to me it is not a conflict between religions it is between the IRISH and those planted there by the BRITISH!. the following is a excerpt; more can be found on the web site!.

The English have been in Ireland, both as peaceful settlers and conquerors, since the 12th century!. It was not until Henry VIII (king 1509-1547) that English interference took its toll on the Irish people!. In order to subdue and rule Ireland, Henry sent Protestants to "plant" or colonize Ireland and wrest control of her from the Gaelic and Catholic native population!. Additionally, non-Conforming Protestants often went to Ireland where they could worship as they chose with minimal interference from the Anglican church!. Subsequent kings and queens, notably Elizabeth I, increased the efforts to install plantations across the island, claiming land for England and forcing the Irish to rent their own land back from their conquerors!. This effort to "re-colonize" an already thriving civilization was largely successful, particularly in the area around Dublin and in the province of Ulster, and this began the period in Irish history known as the "Protestant Ascendancy"!. All action on the part of the Irish to resist the incursions were soundly defeated by English forces!.
With England's Glorious Revolution of 1688, William of Orange and his wife Mary ascended the British throne, bloodlessly as history writes it!. But James II, an overt Catholic, decided to make a last- ditch attempt to regain his throne!. The decisive battle was that of the Boyne, a river near Dublin, on July 1, 1690!. But another battle raged in Derry (renamed Londonderry in the 17th century when it was heavily planted with Englishmen and the charter given over to the City of London)!. Approximately 30,000 Protestants loyal to King William walled up in the city while James II's forces laid siege for 105 days!. Eventually William's forces arrived and on July 28th, 1690, James' army retreated!. With the end of the siege the cause of Ireland's native population had lost its main champion in England, and the Protestant Ascendancy had secured its position in Ireland!.
In the early years of the 18th century the ruling Protestants in Ireland passed a series of "Penal Laws" designed to strip the "backwards" Catholic population of remaining land, positions of influence and civil rights!. Catholics could no longer practice law, run for elected office, purchase land, or own property (such as horses) valued at more than 5 pounds!. By 1778 Irish Catholics would own a meager 5% of Irish land!. Furthermore, the Catholic educational system was outlawed and priests who did not conform to the laws could be branded on the face or castrated!. As a result, much of Catholic church services and education was forced underground, to operate only under extreme secrecy!.
Not all Protestants wished to persecute the Catholics!. Some, feeding off of the ideals espoused in the American and French Revolutions, and taking advantage of England's weakness during the American Revolution, saw the reasons for and opportunity for independence from Britain!. They also believed in certain inherent rights for all people!. Some, such as Henry Grattan, believed the penal laws were too harsh, and tried to force Britain into giving the Irish parliament political independence, although he did not favor severing all ties to England!. Others wanted more!. Wolfe Tone founded the Society of United Irishmen and with the assistance of the French, tried to launch a full-scale rebellion against British rule in 1798!. In the short run, Grattan succeeded where Tone failed, but all was a moot point by 1801 when the British enacted the Act of Union, bringing the business of Ireland's government firmly under English control!.
Protestants in the ruling and merchant classes tended to be Anglican, belonging to the Church of Ireland!. But not all Protestants were wealthy!. Many were farmers like the Catholics and a good number of these belonged to the Presbyterian church, as their ancestors had frequently emigrated from Scotland!. Although these Protestant farmers did not feel the impact of the Penal Laws like the Catholics, they too suffered from economic and political frustrations!. Like Catholics, many had to sell the best and largest share of their crops to the landlords to pay their rent!. The poorer farmers, Catholic and Protestant alike, were forced onto smaller and smaller plots of land which were barely sufficient for subsistence farming while the wealthier ones forced tenants off the land in order to raise cattle!. Because of their position, however, many of these small Protestant farmers were the biggest advocates of the Penal Laws because the restrictions on Catholics freed up land for the Protestants!. Even though the Presbyterian farmers also felt the brunt of the high rents and restrictive laws, it was more convenient to follow the loyalties of faith rather than similarity of circumstance, and therefore Catholics became their main enemies!.

Occasionally as a result of the pressure for land and rents, secret agrarian societies, Catholic and Protestant, developed in the countryside!. Members of these groups directed violence at both property and individuals!. Some, such as the Whiteboys and Ribbonmen attacked the landlords, while others fought amongst themselves!. The Peep O'Day Boys, a Protestant group, formed to intimidate Catholics who they perceived were a threat to their land!. The Catholics retaliated with a group called the Defenders, and the groups waged a small-scale war in the countryside!. In 1795 these groups clashed at a town "diamond" in Armagh, and afterwards the victorious Peep O'Day Boys formed the Orange Order, named for their hero William of Orange!. Although at first an agrarian organization, the Orange Order soon attracted Protestants of all classes and serves even today as the foremost authority within the Protestant Loyalist communities!. Www@QuestionHome@Com

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The conflict was not over religion but over power and dominance!. One side sought power by posturing itself as the defender of the Church, while the other sought to enrich its coffers and build an empire by expropriating the property of the Church!. In some ways it is similar to the struggle between Left and Right!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

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You should know that one of the biggest dissenters of the Catholic church was Martin Luther!. Who wrote the 95 theses!. Among many things he believed that the sale of indulgences was wrong (basically the church was selling people salvation) he also advocated for mass to be performed in native languages rather than just latin; this way ordinary people wouldn't be dependent on priests and in turn they would be able to learn themselves rather than being told what to believe!. Www@QuestionHome@Com

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In terms of conflicts this area is divisable into two rough areas:

1!.) The French Wars of Religion (though mostly in the 16thC)
2!.) The 30 Years War

Google these & you should be covered!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

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Look up plantion of Ireland(especially the ulster plantation), hundreds of years later and people are still dying!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

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A bunch of arguing over things that know one can prove which lasts foreverWww@QuestionHome@Com

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