Tales from Cork's Spike Island
Spike Island, a short boat ride from the pier at Cobh, Co Cork, has been in the news for vastly differing reasons over the years and decades.
Back in the 1840s it served as a holding place for “convicts”, people usually guilty of stealing food during the Famine, before being deported to Tasmania. Among those held there was the nationalist John Mitchel.
During the period 1985-2004, it was a prison for young offenders. It made headlines in 1985 when there were riots and prisoners temporarily took over.
The most recent newsworthy event for Spike Island was in September 2016 when it won Europe’s Leading Tourist Attraction at the World Travel Awards. Other contenders included the Acropolis and the Eiffel Tower.
Iredand's Alcatraz - The prison of Spike Island
RTÉ's Colm Flynn visits the notorious 'Spike Island' prison just off the coast of Cobh in Co. Cork.
In the last 1300 years Spike Island has been host to a 6th century Monastery and a 24 acre Fortress that became the largest convict depot in the world in Victorian times! The island's rich history has included monks and monasteries, rioters and redcoats, captains and convicts and sinners and saints.
Today the island is dominated by the 200 year old Fort Mitchel, the star shaped Fortress which became a prison holding over 2300 prisoners. Take the scenic ferry ride from Kennedy Pier, Cobh, and get captured in the history and mystery of this magical island.
SPIKE ISLAND CORK - Europe's leading tourist attraction 2017 - the Irish Alcatraz
Spike island in Cork harbour has been a home to a 6th century Monastery, a 24 acre British Fortress, the World's largest prison in the 1850's and centuries of island homes.
Today the island is home to the Fortress Spike experience. Take a ferry from heritage town Cobh across the 2nd largest harbour in the world before being greeted by the world's best storytellers. Our guides will take you on a 1300 year journey through Irish history.
See the dark cells, the modern prison, the long tunnel under the forts walls, the many military and penal exhibitions and the beautiful outer island.
Feel the history, unlock the mystery, on Spike Island Cork.
Spike Island in Cork, Ireland
Spike Island is an island of 103 acres in Cork Harbour, Ireland. Originally the site of a monastic settlement, the island is dominated by an 18th-century star fort named Fort Mitchel. The island's strategic location within the harbour meant it was used at times for defence and as a prison. Since the early 21st century the island has been developed as a heritage tourist attraction, with €5.5 million investment in exhibition and visitor spaces and accompanying tourism marketing. There were in excess of 64,000 visitors to the island during 2018. Spike Island was named top European tourist attraction at the 2017 World Travel Awards.
Used as an Island prison, fortress, monastery and home, today visitors can meet captains and convicts and sinners and saints as you uncover 1300 years of Irish history. With prison cells, deep tunnels, island walks and multiple museums, explore the 'Irish Alcatraz' via a guided tour or using the free map and app. Access to the island is by ferry from Kennedy pier, Cobh, go to spikeislandcork.ie for sailings and opening times.
The islands recorded history goes back to the 7th century when St Mochuda founded a monastery on this magical island. Monks walked the island trails for 300 years until the Vikings sailed into Cork harbour, and for many centuries the island was used by smugglers, pirates and as an island home.
In 1779 work began on a fortress and this would become the impressive 24 acre Fort Mitchel which crowns the island today. Able to garrison 3000 men and with guns that could fire a shell 12 miles, the fort was so important that Winston Churchill called Spike Island 'the sentinel tower of the defences of Western Europe'.
The fortress that was built to defend an empire became the largest prison in the world in the 1850's, as the famine raged in Ireland and people resorted to stealing food to survive. The prison opened in 1847 and soon held over 2300 inmates, and there has never been a larger prison in Ireland or Britain before or since. Conditions at 'Ireland's Alcatraz' were terrible and 1300 poor souls would never leave the island, buried now in mass graves with no headstone. Today visitors can explore the dark cells of the punishment block, Ireland's most notorious prison. You can walk the children's prison which held boys as young as 11, and sit in solitary cells.
The prison closed in 1883 and the fort was used by first the British and then the Irish military, as island social life continued for 2 centuries. A prison would return in 1985 and a riot that year forced the islanders to evacuate, ending centuries of island social life. The prison would continue until 2004 and today you can walk the modern cells. Hear stories of daring escapes, Irish rebels, Ireland's most notorious criminal and a dark past.
Today the island has several museums and exhibitions on the social, military, penal and monastic past, and there are stunning views as you complete the 'Ring of Spike', a 5km walking trail with interpreted signage.
In May 2006 the then Minister for Justice Michael McDowell announced plans to build a new prison on the island. However, in January 2007, it was decided to explore an alternative site for the new prison, and a local task group was set up to re-open Spike as a historical tourist site. In 2009 it was announced that ownership of the island would be transferred (free of charge) to Cork County Council to enable its development as a tourist attraction. The Council formed a steering group to explore how Spike Island might be developed as a tourist site, and the Council subsequently licensed operators to give guided tours of the island.
Since 2015, tours depart from Cobh during the summer, taking in the fort, prison cells, gun emplacements, and key points of interest.
Following additional €5.5m investment by Cork County Council and Fáilte Ireland, additional attractions and facilities were opened for the Summer 2016 season. As well as the previously opened buildings and 6-inch gun emplacements, as of Summer 2016, visitors to the Fortress Spike Island cultural heritage attraction can also tour the punishment block, the 1980s cells (which include an exhibition on the 1985 Spike Island riot), the recreation of the hull of a transportation ship, and an interpretative installation on John Mitchel - for whom the fort is named.
In September 2017, at the World Travel Awards, Spike Island was named 'Europe's Leading Tourist Attraction', ahead of the Acropolis in Athens, Buckingham Palace in London, and the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
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Spike Island Aerial drone video by Skytec Ireland, Cobh, Cork, Ireland.
A fantastic drone video of Spike Island taken by Skytec Ireland. Shot in summer 2016.
Spike island is an island off the coast of Cobh in Cork, Ireland. It was used as a monastery in the 6th century and later an enormous 24 acre Fortress was built on the island in the early 1800's. The video shows the enormous scale of the fort which could garrison over 3000 men.
This same fortress became the largest prison in the world in the 1850's, driven by the rise in crime due to the famine. Over 2300 prisoners were held in often appalling conditions and there has never been before or since a bigger prison in Britain or Ireland. The island was used as a convict depot, holding inmates sentenced to transportation. Thousands were sent to Australia, the Americas and elsewhere, often for crimes committed out of desperation.
The practice ended and eventually the island was handed back to the military once again in the late 1800's.
It held the British army during world war 1 as troops were trained there for the front, and in 1921 it had a brief spell as a prison again as 800 republican prisoners were held there during the Irish War of independence.
The island was handed back from the British to Ireland in 1938 when Eamonn De Valera attended a ceremony, as one of 3 treaty forts retained by the British. The military significance of the island was not lost on Winston Churchill, who in a speech about the loss of the treaty ports described Spike as the 'sentinel towers of the defenses of Western Europe'.
The Irish army held the fort until 1979 when the Navy took over, and then in 1985 the escalating joyrider problem led to it being made a prison once again that year. This lead to the Spike Island riots in August of that year, when much of the fort was burned to the ground. The danger from holding prisoners and the riots led to civilians having to vacate their homes and as much as a thousand years of social use came to an end. The last of the prisoners left the island in 2004 as mounting costs saw its prison days come to an end.
In 2010 it was handed back to Cork County Council and today the island is used as a tourist attraction, offering an unrivaled journey through the religious, military, penal and social history of Spike and Ireland.
Some famous visitors have included the prisoner Jack in the box, the crew of the gun running ship the Aud, nationalist hero John Mitchel, British soldier and Amazon explorer and adventurer Percy Fawcett, and Little Nellie of Holy God who is the reason all Catholics have their communion at age 7.
Attractions include the 1850's Punishment block, the modern prison cells, 104 acres of island walks and scenery, 24 acre Fort Mitchel, former Childrens prison, John Mitchel museum, Irelands largest military gun park and many museums and exhibitions. Visitors can also use our cafe, hire picnic hampers and see the wider island, with its abandoned villages, beach walks and convict cemetery.
The island can be reached by ferry from heritage town Cobh, advance booking is highly recommended via spikeislandcork.ie.
Spike Island Cork Cobh Ireland drone footage 2019 - Discover the Irish Alcatraz!
An aerial view of Spike Island Cork, the former monastery, fortress, prison and home that is now the best day out in southern Ireland.
The island held a monastery in the 7th century but it was in the late 1700's that the attention of the world turned to this little island. The British built a 24 acre Fortress to protect Cork harbour from attack from the Americans, French and Spanish.
The wars would end and the fort would next be used to hold prisoners during the Irish famine, and the prison grew to become the largest prison in the world, with over 2300 inmates! There has never been a larger prison in Britain or Ireland before or since. Come and hear the stories of prison escapes and punishment blocks.
The prison closed in 1883 and island was used a military base until it became a prison again in 1921 holding 1400 Irish war of independence prisoners. It would then remain a British fort until it was handed back to the Irish in 1938 in a ceremony attended by Eamonn De Valera.
The Irish army would use the fort and it was a prison again from 1985 to 2004, and it is now a leading visitor attraction.
Today you can walk abandoned prisons, sit in solitary cells, discover the forts high walls and long tunnels, see several museums and exhibitions, walk the scenic island walking trails and use the cafe and gift shop.
Will you escape from Fortress Spike Island.
Spike Island - Ireland's Island prison and fortress. Cobh, Cork, Ireland.
Spike Island in Cobh is a heritage island with 1300 years of Irish history. The island has been home to a 6th century monastery, 18th century fortress, the worlds largest prison in the 1850's and centuries of island homes.
Today the island is a premier visitor attraction with guided tours of the island and fortress, with its prisons, museums, exhibitions, cafe and island walks.
SPIKE ISLAND CORK - Elliot Grafton videographer - Discover Ireland's Alcatraz
World class videographer Elliot Grafton paid a visit to the island where Ireland remembers its past. See it through his eyes with this stunning edit of his Spike and Cobh visit...
Spike Island, Cobh, Cork - Ireland unveiled - AV3 video production- Irish history
Spike Island is a beautiful 104 acre Island off the coast of Cobh in Cork harbour which once held largest prison in the world. The island has been home to a monastery, fortress, prison and island homes and today it is the site of one of Irelands leading tourist attractions. Visitors are taken on a 1300 year journey through Irish and Island history via fully guided tours that depart from Kennedy Pier, Cobh. See spikeislandcork.ie for booking and info.
Ghost of ~“Ireland’s Alcatraz” Spike Island
A white female form is reputedly one of the phantoms which haunts the island. A phantom soldier is also reputed to haunt the area, with two black holes instead of eyes.
The troublesome and most dangerous prisoners were kept here in the 1860s - the Penal Class, men whose agony was so great that several tried to seek release through suicide. It wasn’t for nothing that Spike Island became known as a ‘Hell on earth’ to some of its inmates.
The history is fascinating it was never meant to be a prison, although it has been used as one on more than five occasions.By the time the Famine brought its misery, death and destitution, the fort, which had been designed to garrison soldiers, was being used to house prisoners – at one stage some 2,300 of them, making it the largest prison in Europe. A convict prison from 1847 to 1885, now housing a naval dockyard and a coast defence station. The first steamer to cross the Atlantic, the Sirius, started from Cobh in 1838. Queen Victoria first set foot in Ireland here in 1849 and for seventy years the town — in her honour — was known as Queenstown. In the graveyard north of the town many of the victims of the Lusitania disaster are buried. The importance of the island over the years strategically has been military defense, yet it can also trace its history back to early Christian days.a great number of people on the tour that lived or worked on Spike Island at some point of time. It must be sad for them to see their old homes in ruins. However, they bring to life the ambiance of what it was like living in this island community. There have been relatives of the British forces who left Spike Island in1938 and relatives of the Irish army and naval services who lived on the island until 1985. After the prison riot that year, all families who lived on the island had to leave.
One lady told me that she had moved to the island as a child when the British left in 1939, her father was in the Irish army. In those days the old graveyard had not been maintained for years and a lot of the graves had become deep depressions in the soil. In the winter the water would freeze over as the water collected in the hollows. When this happened, the children skated on the graveyard! Gruesome as that may be, everyone who lived there has said that they would return in the morning if they could.
Around 100 years ago a little girl named Eileen lived here with her family, her father being in the Army and billeted on Spike Island. One day she saw, as she passed the doctor's house, 'something' looking at her over the wall; something that appeared to be human and very tall but it was
grisly and slimy and worst of all where the thing's eyes should have been were only dark, cavernous holes! Eileen stumbled and fell, picked herself up and staggered to a nearby cottage where her story was greeted without surprise and she learned that other people had seen the same thing in the same place. Later she learned that when the house had been the property of the Irish army, there were several incidents where soldiers had a shot at a `figure' without it having any effect.
Irish Ghosts: A Ghost Hunters' Guide By Peter Underwood
The island had many different uses, from a monastery to a fortress and a prison. Reports of activity include antique military soldier apparitions hanging out by the fireplace, a white mist said to be the spirit of John Mitchel who was a prisoner at the jail, footsteps, and of course, that good old irish banshee that is spotted near the ramparts.
LITTLE NELLIE'S HOUSE
Ellen Organ was born in Waterford in 1903 but moved to Spike Island with her soldier father and family when he was stationed on Spike. She displayed a precocious spiritual awareness as soon as she could speak, constantly displaying her religious knowledge and spiritual passion. She adored the walk along Spike Islands shoreline to the village church that she made often with her mother.
When her mother tragically died of TB, Ellen was taken into the care of the Sisters of the Good Shepard in Sunday's Well, Cork. Here the sisters immediately spotted her immense religious understanding and were devastated when soon after the pious child arrived she was also diagnosed with TB. Despite her affliction her devotion grew and Ellen would begin to describe visions and conversations with God and Jesus. Read All
narrative by Ghost Hunters International_
Photos by tripadvisor.co.uk
Video by Tales from Cork's Spike Island Irish Times youtube.com
Music Kevin MacLeod ~ Decay
Spike Island Cork - Elliot Grafton edit - Discover the island where Ireland remembers...
Once home to a monastery, fortress, the worlds largest prison and centuries of island homes, Spike Island Cork is the island where Ireland remembers. Often called 'Ireland's Alcatraz' yet so much more, come and discover our rich, dark and in depth history for yourself...
Spike island official opening September 2016 Cobh Cork Ireland tourism trips visits
Spike Island in Cork harbour has over 1300 years of history, starting with a monastery in the 6th century. The first of 3 forts was built there in 1779 and today there stands Fort Mitchel, which at 24 acres is one of the largest star shaped forts in the world, holding 3000 men. The fortress was converted into a prison in 1848 as the famine drove up the prisoner numbers, and Spike Island became the largest prison in the world in the 1850's, holding over 2300 men.
The island would be used by the military for over 100 years before it became a prison again in 1985. It was redeveloped by Cork County Council in 2005/16 and reopened following 6 million Euro of investment.
Today visitors can take the ferry from Cobh and enjoy a fully guided tour through the island to the Fort. Attractions include the 18520's prison, the modern prison cells, Ireland's largest military gun park, Exhbitions on the Aud, penal and military subjects, and a fully stocked cafe and gift shop.
Hear the history, unlock the mystery, at your Spike Island.
Spike Island Cork Harbour
Cork Harbour
Alone in Spike Island prison
Spike Island - Ireland's Alcatraz
A short film about Ireland's Alcatraz - Spike Island (Cork Harbour).
Children's prison block Spike Island
Before Victorian times there was no distinction between age groups when it came to crime and punishment, but during the 1850s when Spike Island's prison population had swollen to the largest in the world, people began to discuss the need for prisoner reform rather than Punishment.
Conditions would slowly improve for child convicts but Spike time was still hard time for the 100 children as young as 12 who were among the 100 in Spikes childrens dormitory. Huge chain hung from the ceiling supported hammocks in which the children would sleep, many of whom were imprisoned for crimes as trivial as stealing a handkerchief or loaf of bread.
Sadly not all made it off the island either, with some succumbing to the conditions and many arriving already weak from the famine which had gripped Ireland in the last 1840s.
The building became the shell store for the fort, used to protect the ammunition from attackers projectiles. Today the building houses a recreation of the cells of the transport hulks that once sat in Cork harbour, along with videos telling the stories of 3 generations of prisoners.
Irish Paranormal Investigations - Spike Island
On 15th September IPI were invited for a private team investigation of Fort Mitchel on haunted Spike Island, Cobh, County Cork. With just our equipment, ourselves and our guides Noel and Scott, we braved the stormy elements and the dark history of Spike to seek supernatural encounters.
TV3 visit Spike Island Cobh cork for the official opening following €6 million investment.
TV3 news report on the official opening of Spike Island, following 6 million Euro of investment in the island attractions. Over 330 invited guests, military personnel and staff took part in the event, which included a 16 gun salute from our military cannons and music from a 24 piece military band.
The island is now open to take visitors on a 1300 year journey through Irish penal, military, social and religious history. Visitors can enjoy a short ferry ride before the guided tours shows them the island homes, 1985 cells, 1850's Punishment block, children's prison, exhibition space, Irelands largest military gun park and the 6'' harbour defence guns. Visit spikeisland
Spike Island part 1 The Island Prison
The Spike Island Archaeological Project
Project Director: Dr Barra O'Donnabhain, Department of Archaeology, University College Cork
During the 2013 season of excavation on the island, 23 undergraduate students from UCC and from various universities in North America worked with the excavation director and four supervisors, all postgraduate students at UCC. The work was funded by the Los Angeles-based Institute for Field Research (ifrglobal.org) with significant in-kind support from Cork County Council.
The focus of this research project is the 19th century convict prison that operated on Spike Island in Cork harbour from 1847 until 1883. The project was established in 2012 with seed funding from the College of Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Sciences (CACSSS) at UCC and is operated with partnership with Cork County Council, in whose care the island is vested. During the 2013 season of excavation on the island, 23 undergraduate students from UCC and from various universities in North America worked with the excavation director and four supervisors, all postgraduate students at UCC. The work was funded by the Los Angeles-based Institute for Field Research (ifrglobal.org) with significant in-kind support from Cork County Council.
The documentary is in 5 parts.
Spike Island, Cobh, Cork harbour, Official opening - visitors give their feedback
Some visitors to Spike Island during our official opening in September 2016 give their opinion on our visitor attraction, including the Mayor o Cork Cllr Seamus McGrath.