Spike Island

Spike Island has been a monastery, a fort, a prison, a Victorian convict depot and an army base. Fort Mitchel, the bastioned star fort covering much of it, was begun in 1804 against a French invasion. From 1847 it was used as a convict depot for the Famine years and after, and by 1850 it held around 2,300 prisoners - at that point more than any prison in the world - in conditions where over a thousand died and are buried on the island; more than a thousand more were transported from here to Australia. The British held it as a Treaty Port until 1938. It became a prison again in 1985, saw a riot and fire in 1985, and closed in 2004. The tour covers the fort, the punishment block, the graveyard and the prison wings, and includes a guided introduction with free time after. Ferries run seasonally from Cobh and cancel in poor conditions.

What you actually see

• Fort Mitchel - the bastioned star fort begun in 1804.
• The convict depot - where 2,300 were held in 1850, and the burial ground.
• The modern prison wings - the buildings in use until 2004.
• The harbour setting - Cork Harbour and Cobh across the water.

When to go

April to October; ferry service is seasonal and reduced outside summer. Booking is essential - sailings are limited and fill. Allow half a day including the crossing.

Honest expectations

Access only by the timed ferry, which cancels in poor weather and must be booked. A lot of outdoor walking on a large exposed site. The history is grim - a thousand deaths and mass transportation - and is told plainly.

Nearby

Cobh and Saint Colman's Cathedral are across the water; Cork city is up the river.