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.