Castle in Curryroe

The castle in the fastness of Feadha (or the Fews, which is Drum parish), occupied by Nicol Mac Eochaidh (Keogh), was attacked by Cathal O'Conor in 1392 (Moore, 1974-5, 126). Shane O' Naughten of Moynure in the Fews is listed in 1585 (O'Donovan 1843, 19). It is not known who held the castle at Curryroe in the 17th century, but in 1641 John Mc Robert O'Naughten owned 620 profitable acres in Drum parish, by far the largest holding amongst the Naughtens, who held in total 1943 profitable acres. Others held almost 1400 profitable acres, but nine tenths of the 4145 unprofitable acres, which were largely bog, were held by members of the Naughten family. John Mc Robert held 1400 acres of bog, including 575 acres at Carrig O Naughten (Carrickynaghtan) and 788 acres at Inchfaddagh, which is probably the long bog of Cornafulla, Creggan, Callowbeg, Curraghnaboll and Cregganabeaks townlands. By the 1660s only 927 acres of profitable land were held by people with the Naughten name, amongst whom Donnagh with almost 600 acres had the largest single holding (Simington 1949, 93-6). The castle is marked as a small rectangular building and described in gothic lettering as a castle on the 1837 ed. of the OS 6-inch map. Known locally as a Naughten castle, it was situated on relatively high ground within the ecclesiastical enclosure of Drum church (RO051-065003-). It is not visible now at ground level. Archaeological testing (03E0553) in the vicinity failed to produce any related material (Byrne 2006a).