Mayor Lynch and the town council utterly refused the terms, to the surprise and anger of Lord Forbes. They instead made representations to the Earl of Clanricarde - who was at the time a neutral - for protection. Clanricarde in turn communicated to Forbes that, should he make war against the town, it would be both a breach of the peace and endanger the country by bringing yet another area into the war. Furthermore, he made it clear that, should the citizens become actively hostile against Forbes, there would be nothing he could do to influence them.