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The worst case at this time was with the two Loughnane brothers were working on the family farm in Shanaglish and were arrested. Nothing was heard of, nor from, the brothers until a week after their arrest when a group of Auxiliaries called to Mrs. Loughnane to inform her that her sons had escaped their capture.
They were arrested on the 26th of November, 1920. The prisoners were taken to Drumharsna Castle for interrogation, before being shot and killed in the nearby Moy O’Hynes woods.
WS1517 shows that the IRA believed that TF Burke was in charge of the ADRIC detachment that arrested the Loughnanes
Ten days after they had been arrested their bodies were found in a muddy pond near Ardrahan. They appeared to have been tortured before being killed and photos exist of their charred bodies in coffins before burial by their family.
Auxiliaries giving evidence at the inquest were
S/L CW Owen who was in charge of the detachment at Drumharsna Castle. He was responsible for arresting the Loughnanes and for guarding them until they were handed over to the main ADRIC detachment in Galway.
T/C VP Laurenson was "responsible" for letting the men escape. His testimony says he heard a noise, went to investigate it and in the minute he was away, the 2 men escaped.
That was the last that was heard of them until their charred bodies were found in a bog on 5th Dec 1920
WS 1150 says Patrick Loughnan belonged to Beagh Company. He was a fine athletic man over six feet in height and was about twenty nine years old at the time he and his brother Henry were murdered by the Auxiliaries. He was one of the men I selected in the Beagh Company area and swore into the I.R.B. Under my orders he raided the house of' John Carr Tierneevan, Gort, for an automatic pistol which I knew Carr had in his possession. Carr was an ex-R.I.C. man. Patr.ick Loughnan had a surprisingly weak voice for so big a man. He was masked when raiding for the gun but the. Carr family took note of his Voice. John Carr's son William Carr joined the ADRIC and when Patrick Loughnan and his brother Henry were arrested by the Black and Tans, William Carr was with them. I am of opinion that William Carr was in the house when it was raided for the automatic and that when the brothers were arrested he recognised Patrick's voice. Patrick Loughnan and his brother Henry were brutally murdered by the Tans and the whole area was shocked by the news.