I got to spend the day with a few friends exploring the old prison/fort on Spike Island. Spike Island is located a short ferry ride from Cobh, in Co. Cork. The island has a lot of rich history due to the fact that it is located in the middle of Cork Harbor, the second largest natural harbor in the world, second only to Sydney Harbor.
The location of Spike Island off the southern coast makes it a strategic point for defense. A star shaped fort (similar shape to the fort I visited outside of Kinsale) was built during the 18th century. The harbor was no stranger to forts, a temporary fort had been previously built on the island and the harbor had been used to hold British ships before they sailed to America to fight in the American Revolution.
The current fort was built during the time that Napoleon was ruling France, for fear that he may try and attack England by entering Ireland first. The fort wasn’t actually finished until after Napoleon’s rule.
The structure was eventually turned in to a prison, were they would house convicts before transporting them to Australia. They even had a child’s prison with in the fortress, where they would house young children for something as small as stealing food.
After Ireland gained their independence from Great Britain, they renamed the fort Fort Mitchel, and continued using it as a military base and a prison. Eventually the prison was turned in to a prison for young offenders. In 1985, after a fight over a kettle, the prisoners burned down the prison and escaped. Most of them climbed on to the roof of the church while a few climbed the walls of the fort and escaped down to the village. The prisoners left the villagers alone but hot wired a tractor and took it for a joy ride around the island before trying to use it to break back in to the prison.
All in all, the prisoners eventually got cold and hungry and were coaxed off the roof. They also decided that it would no longer be safe for people to live on the island, so after they rebuilt the prison, they had the villagers move across the harbor to Cobh. Eventually the prison was closed and has now been recently turned in to a historical tourist site, with museums about the prisoners who lived on the island as well as about the Irish military and the war of independence.
Definitely a very informative and fun day! Definitely would recommend the visit to any one who is visiting Cork! So glad I went and might even want to go again!