Y  `."System- "System glϊ-"System--@"Calibri---  2 n`c  @Times New Roman--- U2 `1cThe Torture and Killing of the Loughnane Brothers             2 c  @Times New Roman--- &2 `cSetting the scene      2 c   2 c  82 cWar of Independence in Galway            2 c  @Times New Roman--- 2 `PcIn the December 1918 election, the four Galway constituencies returned the four                    42 `cSinn Fin candidates. One        V2 .2cconstituency, Galway East, returned the Sinn Fin                  w2 `Hccandidate unopposed and in the other three constituencies the Sinn Fin                     2 `Qccandidates were returned with very substantial majorities (Walker (1992), pg 7).                     2 c   Y2 0`4cThe Galway IRA were relatively late into the field             52 0c. They carried out attacks           2 E`Ocon four RIC barracks in the first months of 1920 (Castlehacket RIC barracks on                      @Times New Roman------------------------ 2 [` cJanuary 12   --- 2 Vcth---  2 [c   2 [c   2 [c  2 [csee  2 [cJan   2 [c- 2 [ c12   2 [c- 2 [%c20/1   D2 [F&c; Castlegrove RIC barracks on March 26           --- 2 Vycth---  2 [c   2 [c-  2 [c  2 [cMar   2 [c- --------- 2 p`c26   2 ptc- 2 pzc20/3;   >2 p"cLoughgeorge RIC barracks on May 25           --- 2 kcth---  2 pc   2 pc   2 pc  2 pcsee  2 pcMay   2 p3c- 2 p9c25   2 pMc- 2 pSc20/1   2 p{cand  --------- 2 `cBroo   42 ckeen RIC barracks on July 4          --- 2 [cth---  2 dc   2 ic   2 sc  2 xcsee  2 cJul   2 c- 2 c04   2 c- 2 c20/3).    2 c  .2 cHowever, these attacks         |2 `Kcdid not lead to any casualties or the capture of any of the barracks (and,                      2 `Qccrucially from the point of view of the IRA, they did not lead to the capture of                          22 `cany arms or ammunition).        2 -c  X2 03cAccording to McNamara, The failure of these early                 2 `Pcattacks precipitated a fundamental change in republican tactics and the Galway                    t2 `FcIRA started to focus its attacks on RIC patrols where they were more                    --- \2 `6cvulnerable than in their heavily fortified barracks (              42 cMcNamara (2018), pg 122).      ---  2 c  --- 2 &`McThe first of these ambushes resulted in the first Crown Forces casualties in                   w2 <`HcCounty Galway. Two RIC constables (James Burke and Patrick Carey) were                    k2 Q`@ckilled in an ambush at Gallagh Hill near Tuam on July 19th 1920                     2 QVc   2 Q`c  2 Qecsee  2 QcJul   2 Qc- 2 Qc19   2 Qc-  2 g`c20  2 gtc/2  |2 gKc. This ambush resulted in a furious reprisal from the RIC and British Army                       }2 |`Lcon the town of Tuam with many homes and businesses destroyed, including the                     s2 `EcTown Hall. The next ambush took place at Red Bridge near Oranmore on                        >2 `"cAugust 21st in which one RIC man (          @2 }#cConstable Martin Foley) was killed           2 c-  2 c  2 csee  --- 2 `cAug   2 c- 2 c21   2 c- 2 c20/3   e2 <c. Again, there were reprisals in the village of Oranmore.             ---  2 c  --- w2 `HcThe third ambush, which is highly relevant to the fate of the Loughnane                    v2 `Gcbrothers, took place at Castledaly located between villages of Kilchree                    2 cst and    z2 `JcPeterswell in south County Galway on October 30th, 1920. One RIC man was                    y2 `Ickilled (Constable Timothy Horan) and the IRA captured a number of rifles                     2 c   2 c  2 csee   2 /`cOct  2 /|c- 2 /c30   2 /c- 2 /c20/2   p2 /Cc. As had become the norm, there were reprisals in the wake of the                &2 D`cCastledaly ambush       b2 D:cwith a number of houses in the vicinity burnt down by the                    v2 Z`GcRIC. Castledaly was the first major engagement conducted by the South                   2 o` cGalway IRA      2 oc   2 oc  b2 o:cthe barrack attacks and ambushes mentioned above were the                   _2 `8cwork of the North Mid and East Galway IRA. Due to the r                #2 3celevance of the      2 `PcCastledaly ambush to the Loughnane brothers, it will be returned to below. (All                      |2 `Kcfour RIC constables killed in the three ambushes mentioned were Irish born                      z2 `Jcmembers of the RIC with an average of 12 years of service in the RIC (See                      ------ 2 ` cAbbott (200   2  c0), pgs 103     2 c- (2  c104, 112 & 139)).   ---  2 c  "Arial--ccbbaa