Spike Island

The wind blows through your hair, the pleasant sea breezes are on your face, and you're gliding from pretty Cobh across the glistening waters of Cork Harbour to your destination: the legendary Spike Island! The southwest coast of Ireland draws tourists' attention with its fortress atop a picturesque island. Once, the star-shaped building served as one of the world's biggest prisons. Explore the 1,300-year-long history of the place via a guided tour or through a self-guided experience.

Multilayered history
Spike Island has a dark and fascinating past. Some even call it "Ireland's Alcatraz". Its history began over 1,300 years ago when an early Christian monastery was built at the site.
A monastic settlement lasted until the 16th century despite being ravaged by Vikings in the 9th century. For many centuries, smugglers and pirates took advantage of the island.

In the mid-1600s, during the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland, Spike Island first became a prison. The original 10-acre British fortress built in the late 1700s was considered too small to defend the Empire from potential attack by Napoleon's forces. In 1779, reconstruction began on a fortress, which turned into the impressive 24-acre Fort Mitchel.

The island became the largest prison worldwide during the Great Famine in 1847. It held over 2300 inmates as the famine raged and people stole food to survive. Due to terrible conditions at 'Ireland's Alcatraz', 1,300 prisoners did not leave the island and were buried with no headstone.

1883, the island resumed its original function as a military barracks for the British and, later on, the Irish military. It reopened and continued as a prison from 1985 to 2004.

Unveiling mysteries
When archaeologists arrived nearly a decade later, the sheets were still on the beds. Before the excavation, the team documented the modern graffiti by 20th-century prisoners. The graffiti on the walls contained a nickname, sentence, and hometown. It is said that these modern prisoners were from the same disadvantaged background as prisoners during the Victorian era.

Records indicate that a graveyard holds over of 1,000 prisoners who died before 1860. In 2013, an excavation of the convict graveyard started. The aim is to find out more about the men who died on this prison island.

Over the past several years, the team has revealed some mysteries buried on Spike Island. One of them is a grizzly procedure carried out on dead prisoners' remains. A handful of skeletons had the top of their skulls removed. This might have been part of a study focused on identifying the characteristic physical features of the "born criminal."

In August 2020, the most significant discovery was announced: a secret stone spiral staircase constructed at the end of the 18th century. It was found in a tunnel leading from the inner fortress to the outer moat. Quite interestingly, none of the island's plans contain the data. This discovery also suggests that other staircases in the older fort might have been used for escape attempts.

Archaeologists say they were surprised at how carefully prisoners buried their fellow inmates, mainly by painting the cheap pine coffins to look like oak coffins. This is believed to have been a gift to make a statement that this person was of some worth.

'Hell on Earth'
Now, Spike Island welcomes boatloads of tourists. However, in Victorian times, it was a place that many imprisoned there never left. The prison housed convicts from 1847 to 1883. Many prisoners were detained and sentenced to hard labour for things we would not regard as crimes today. 

Up to 40 persons could be detained in one room. There were no individual cells except for the punishment block, used to imprison the most dangerous convicts. Several records show details of solitary confinement in the prison's punishment block. It resembled "hell on Earth." The prison's regime of forced labour, along with poor living conditions and an inadequate diet, led to hundreds of deaths. More than 1,000 prisoners are reported dying there in less than four years. A number of convict accounts describe how prisoners were heavily chained from wrist to ankle.

Current use
The iconic star-shaped Fort Mitchel still stands strong today. Spike Island first opened to the public in 2016. It is open year-round, but the exact schedule depends on the season. Tourists can check out the towering entrance walls, large parade ground, and many buildings and tunnels. A military Gun Park featuring tanks, cannons, and artillery guns is essential for any military enthusiast.

The island houses museums and 12 exhibition spaces illustrating its social, military, penal, and monastic past. One can explore the dark cells of the punishment block and hear stories of daring escapes. You can walk through the children's prison, which houses boys and young men. From 1847, some men and boys as young as 11 were sent to the island prison for trivial offences such as stealing potatoes.

A visit to Spike Island, including the 15-minute ferry journey, takes 3.5 hours. On arrival, you will join an experienced guide for a 40-minute guided tour of the fort. You will enjoy stunning views as you complete the 'Ring of Spike', a 5km walking trail. You can also follow in the monks' footsteps by undertaking their daily pilgrimage on the outer island trail. After that, you are welcome to the cafe, which offers a wide range of freshly baked goods, sandwiches, and homemade soup.

Candlelit corridors, chilling tunnels, and solitary cells await you on the After Dark tours (duration 3 hours, suitable for ages 16+ only). Not for the faint-hearted, these tours take you to areas of the island, usually off-limits to the public. The access-all-areas tour includes a fully guided experience; the expert storytellers will share spine-chilling rumours of the murderers and deviants who once rambled its halls. Get ready to dive into the haunting history of Ireland's infamous prison island.

• April-October: Open seven days a week.
• Adult ticket €27, senior and student ticket €22.
• All tickets include a ferry journey to and from the destination and a guided tour.
• Free parking is available at the Five Foot Way Car Park, which is a 10-minute walk from the town centre and ferry departure point.