In the last 1300 years Spike island has been home to rioters and redcoats, captains and convicts, monks and monasteries and sinners and saints. Its beautiful 104 acres have housed an IslandMonastery, Fortress, Prison and Homes and today the island can be reached by a short and scenic ferry from the heritage town Cobh. Once on the island, visitors join Ireland’s best storytellers for a mesmerising insight into the personal stories of this unique corner of the Ancient East.
Enter the 200 year old Fort Mitchel, the 24 acre star shaped Fortress built to defend an empire that became the largest prison in the world in the 1850’s during the famine years. Tens of thousands of Irish men and women were transported to America and Australia from Spikes prison. The island would be used by both the British and Irish army and navy before becoming a prison again in the 1980’s.
Today’s visitors can explore the vast Fortress, enter the infamous Punishment block and modern prison cells, see Ireland’s largest military gun park, journey through the tunnels to the harbour defence guns, enter the former childrens prison and explore the 104 acres of villages, beaches and grasslands.
Ferries depart from Kennedy pier which is right in the centre of Cobh next to Titanic Cobh. Cobh is 25 minutes by car and 23 minutes by train from Cork city centre, 25km distance. 25 minutes from Cork Airport, 23km. Exit junction 3 on the N25 signposted Cobh.
Carrig House, Cobh, Co. Cork, Ireland