Spike Island

Over het museum

Spike Island lies in Cork Harbour, a short ferry ride from Cobh, and has been in use for around 1,300 years. According to tradition, St Mochuda founded a monastery here in the seventh century. In the 1650s the island served as a prison for Irish captives under Cromwell, and from 1779 it was developed as a military fortress, beginning more than two centuries of military occupation.

Its dominant building is Fort Mitchel, a star-shaped fortress about 200 years old. During the Famine years it became a convict depot, and in the 1850s it held more than 2,300 prisoners, making it the largest prison in the world at the time and the largest ever in Britain and Ireland. From 1938 the island was an Irish army and navy base, and a modern prison for young offenders later operated here; a violent riot broke out in the prison in 1985.

Today the island is run as a visitor attraction. A guided tour with a storyteller is included in the ticket, and visitors can then explore at their own pace, visiting more than a dozen museums and exhibitions in the fortress, the shell store and other buildings, an augmented-reality app and digital story trail, and scenic walking trails with views over Cobh and the harbour.

Hoogtepunten

• Guided tour of Fort Mitchel, once the largest prison in the world
• More than a dozen museums and exhibitions in the fortress buildings
• Exhibitions on the independence period and on the ship Aud
• Walking trails with views over Cobh and Cork Harbour
• Augmented-reality app and digital story trail

Vaste collectie

• Fort Mitchel and prison museums – Over a dozen museums and exhibitions in the fortress and the former prison, covering the monastery, the Cromwellian prison, the Famine-era convict depot, the independence period and the modern prison.
• The Aud – An exhibition about the ship Aud and its secret and dangerous mission.

Toegangsprijzen & kortingen

The ticket includes the return ferry from Cobh, a guided tour with a storyteller, a free visitor guide and time to explore the 104-acre island.

Toegankelijkheid

• Deels rolstoeltoegankelijk
• Lift: geen informatie
• Aangepast toilet
• Gehandicaptenparkeerplaats: geen informatie
• Hulphonden welkom: geen informatie
• Tastmodellen / voelbare objecten: geen informatie
• Rondleidingen in gebarentaal: geen informatie
• Informatie in eenvoudige taal: geen informatie
• Audiodescriptie: geen informatie

Two wheelchair-accessible pontoons serve the ferry in Cobh and on the island; the ramps are easier at high tide. From the island pier there is a 400 m walk with a short but steep incline to the fort, on a paved wheelchair-friendly path. Ten of the twelve exhibition spaces are wheelchair accessible, and the café and gift shop are accessible, with occasional narrow corridors and doorways. Accessible toilets are at the pier and in the café. Groups of wheelchair users should contact the team in advance.

Kinderen & gezin

Erg geschikt voor kinderen & gezinnen

• Gezinsrondleidingen & workshops

There are child and family tickets, and a large open field on the island where children can play. Seasonal family events such as a Halloween trail for ages 2 and up are offered.

Bereikbaarheid & parkeren

Spike Island is reached only by ferry from Cobh.

Service & horeca

• Café
• Museumwinkel

Café with baked goods, wraps, sandwiches and homemade soup, including vegetarian and gluten-free options; gift shops and toilets on the island.

Evenementen & zaalverhuur

Het museum heeft hierover geen informatie gepubliceerd.

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