The war was both a religious and an ethnic conflict – fought over who would govern Ireland, whether it would be governed from England, which ethnic and religious group would own most of the land, and which religion would predominate in the country.
Det var såvel en etnisk som en religiøs konflikt, udkæmpet om magtherredømmet i Irland, om landet skulle styres fra England, hvilken etnisk og religiøs gruppe der skulle eje landet og hvilken religion der skulle være fremherskende.