Fathom Castle, also known as Feedom Castle, was a castle in Fathom (sometimes 'Fidun')

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near Newry,

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History

A stronghold of the O'Neill's, the castle was taken by the English during the

Nine Years War The Nine Years' War (1688–1697), often called the War of the Grand Alliance or the War of the League of Augsburg, was a conflict between France and a European coalition which mainly included the Holy Roman Empire (led by the Habsburg monarch ...

and was then demolished in 1730 for the development of a

canal Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface flow un ...

. Originally it was a holding of

Hugh DeLacy Emerson Hugh De Lacy (May 9, 1910 – August 19, 1986) was an American politician and socialist. He served on the Seattle City Council from 1937 to 1940 and as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1945 to 1947. He repre ...

, as there is reference to an 'old castle' being there, before Shane O'Neill built his structure c. 1550s and used it as a primary residence. It appears on a number of old maps one of which can be found on the British Library site here
Link to page displaying map from 1602
Being on the western approach to the settlement at Carlingford, where King John's Castle was being built c. 1180–1200, it most probably was a fortified structure occupied by a knight in the service of DeLacy. There is definite mention of Sir Robert Marmion being at a prest of knights before King John in Dublin in 1210. It would appear that this Sir Robert was the knight responsible for Fidun/Fathom Castle. He entered Ireland with Strongbow and other

Normans The Normans (Norman language, Norman: ''Normaunds''; french: Normands; la, Nortmanni/Normanni) were a population arising in the medieval Duchy of Normandy from the intermingling between Norsemen, Norse Viking settlers and indigenous West Fran ...

in 1169-1172 as documented, and there is mention of other Marmions, presumably his descendants being 'of Fidun', i.e. Sir Gilbert in 1290 and a William as late as 1305. With the

Gaelic Gaelic is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". As a noun it refers to the group of languages spoken by the Gaels, or to any one of the languages individually. Gaelic languages are spoken in Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, and Ca ...

resurgence, the 'Fidun' location (also referred to as 'the fort in the Forest') was abandoned and the Marmion family relocated to nearby fortified Carlingford (strongly defended by troops of King John's Castle.) The Marmions were prominent in the governance of Carlingford until 1655 when they were dispossessed for rebellion, losing their large holdings including a castle which was possibly the structure now referred to as ' The Mint'.

References

*http://www.newryjournal.co.uk/2008/10/22/shane-oneill-campaigns/ *The Marmion Family of Carlingford to 1600, Journal of the County Louth Archaeological & Historical Society, 2000 Castles in County Armagh {{NorthernIreland-castle-stub