 Fitzmaurice himself mounted a sortie to Connacht to try to provoke rebellion there.However, he was killed in a skirmish with the forces of the Burkes of Clanwilliam on 18 August, after his men stole some horses belonging to Theobald Burke (ironically a cousin of Fitzmaurice).This left the rebellion under the command of John of Desmond, now effectively the leader of the Geraldines.