Sarsfield was at the head of the war party, and succeeded, for the present, in preventing any arrangement.
Ginckle advanced slowly, for he had to march through a waste and desolate country.

Sarsfield, with his cavalry, hovered round him, and intercepted his communications, and he was so short of draught horses that it was only by forcing the gentry of Dublin to give up their carriage horses, for the use of the army, that he was enabled to move forward.
It was not until the end of August that he sat down with his siege train in front of Limerick, and prepared for the siege.

For the moment, the party in favour of peace among the Irish had been silenced by the news that twenty large ships of war, with a great number of transport and store ships, were being pushed forward at Brest and other French ports to come to their assistance.
Ginckle occupied the same ground which William's army had taken up in the first siege, but directed his attacks chiefly upon the English town.

As before, the Irish communication was open with the county of Clare, and the seventeen regiments of Irish horse were encamped on the Clare side of the river.

Ginckle pushed on his works with great vigour, and the duty in the trenches was so severe, that the cavalry were compelled to take their turn with the infantry; but, notwithstanding that the siege artillery was much more powerful than that which William had at his disposal, but little progress was made.