 With 1400 soldiers and assisted by William Winter and his naval forces, William Pelham captured Carrigafoyle, the principal Desmond stronghold at the mouth of River Shannon and massacred the rebel garrison there.They had now cut off the Geraldine forces from the north of the country and prevented a landing of foreign troops into the main Munster port of Limerick.When news of the destruction of Carrigafoyle castle spread, other Desmond strongholds fell swiftly.