according to james hardiman "" ... forbes, stimulated by willoughby and ashley"" - captains of the besieged forthill - ""and governed by the advice of hugh peters, whom he brought with him as his chaplain ... was entirely deaf to every remonstrance of reason or discretion."" being unable to directly assault the town itself, forbes landed men west of the town and took possession of the claddagh, on the west bank of the corrib. all of the town's surrounding suburbs and villages were burned and destroyed; dozens of locals were killed, assaulted and raped. st. mary's church in the claddagh was badly defaced; in its graveyard, coffins were dug up as lord forbes's troops searched the bodies for rings, gold chains and the like.