Spike Island — Attraction in Cobh Rural ED

Visit it. You will not regret it. First and foremost: always buy your tickets online. Once you have decided in which day you want to go, check the weather (if possible) and buy the tickets.

Do not expect to be able to do so when you arrive there. You might be lucky but then again... Saw many disappointed people going back after they tried to buy tickets at the pier without any luck.

June, July and August are the most sought out tickets. In the space of 1h between deciding at what time we would visit Spike Island, what time we would be going to Cobh by train fom Kent Station, Cork City and buying the train tickets (also online) all the tickets for Spike Island got sold out for the next 2 days. So we ended up buying tickets for the 3rd day no matter what.

If you think you will be lost without a map you can get one at Cobh Heritage Center. Its the 1st big orange building on your right side after you leave the station and go down the street. Near it is the statue of Annie Moore and her brothers. She was the 1st immigrant to be processed at Ellis Island, New York.

Once you get your tickets from the Spike Island kiosk go to the Kennedy pier which is behind the kiosk. Do not be late. The ferry waits for no one and there are no refunds if you arrive late.

If its not raining enjoy the view of the city. If it is, well, you are in Ireland. Always carry a raincoat with you just to be safe. You have free WiFi in the ferry. The password is inside the passenger cabin and it takes around 10 minutes to take you to Spike Island if the tide is high or between 20/ 30 minutes if the tide is low.

Once on Spike Island you will have a meet and greet with your tour guide and for the next hour he will tell you all the stories about the place that only them can tell you about. Our tour guide was John G (like the rapper or so he told us). Quite a nice and funny person and very knowledgeable too but truth must be told, all of the staff i interacted with was really nice, friendly and helpful. Also, remember, its good to make questions (my kid made lots and he happily answered all of it even when he had already answered some of it previously. Thank you for your patience and understanding.) but the more questions you make the longer the guided tour will take and the less time on your own you will have to visit the island and believe me, there is lots to see. But then again, that way you will have another reason to visit it again since the 3 and a half hours you will spend there won't be enough to visit everything and this is a fact.

Or you can make the tour on your own although you will be missing out on lots of its juicy, funny (like the Irish mommy!) and sad/ horror stories.

If you have mobility issues or if you think you won't be able to walk to the top, they will gladly take you in their van up to the top of the hill where the fortress is.

You can also bring your own food and make a picnic there if you wish to do so and if the weather allows it. There are a few tables and seats around the island.

You have toilet facilities near the pier and another one inside the fortress. There is also a coffee shop on the fortress grounds and a gift shop.

Also very important if you have children and they like fairies: you have a fairy trail to discover. Ask one of the staff where you can get the map for it. I found it out randomly while visiting a last building before we headed to the pier to get to our ferry. There are cute little houses attached to the trees. I found some but didn't know what it was except that maybe they did it to make the visit more memorable for the children. Mine was super happy when she found a few fairy houses.

My friends and I loved every minute of it even my 10yo child did. Spike Island has one of the most nicest and knowledgeable staff there is, great exhibits, lots of photo opportunities and places to explore.

They also make night tours during September and even a movie night screening. Check their website...

For anyone visiting Cork City and the surrounding areas, I would strongly suggest a visit to the historically significant Spike Island. This island, once the biggest prison in Europe harboring over 2000 prisoners, is steeped in history. Evidence suggests its early inhabitants were a monastic settlement in the 7th century. However this saintly association was superseded by a dark period in Irish history when Cromwell used the island as a depot for irish prisoners before being sent to Australia for the rest of their lives. The prison operated during Ireland's darkest period in 1847 until 1883 mistreating adults and children alike. The cruelty of this English regime is evident and palpable as one walks around. After the prison closed the island reverted due to being a military base its strategic importance at the mouth of the harbour. The large guns dotted throughout the island give evidence to its military past. In 1916, the island imprisoned the crew involved in the infamous gun running saga where a ship known as the Aud attempted to carry guns to the volunteers. It was unfortunately apprehended before reaching its destination. It became an internment camp during the War of Independence and believe it or not a number of men have been bravely successful in making escapes from the island often termed "the Irish Alcatraz". Although the island remained as a prison until 2004, the year 1985 will be remembered for the riot, where prisoners armed themselves and overpowered officers until the Gardai eventually took back control of the facility. During this time families were evacuated and there now is no longer a community present on the island. The remnants of a once thriving little village can be seen along the walks. One thing that is not mentioned very often on the guidebooks is that there is a palpable air of sadness in many places on the island for...

I visited Spike Island recently, 10th July 2020, with my 9 year old granddaughter. What an enjoyable day out. We first did the tour. Our guide, a young man was brilliant. He was good humored, clear and above all was sufficiently concise that one could remember practically all he said. My granddaughter said " that was really interesting and he wasn't boring at all" like other tours she's done. The fort itself was really impressive in its size and in the number and quality of displays spread around different parts. There are some beautiful scenic views of Cork Harbour from the fort ramparts. For that alone the island is worth a visit. So, tired after our long day, we sat at the tables outside the restaurant and had an ice cream - heaven for my granddaughter. The staff, on the boat and ashore, were all really friendly and helpful. Somewhere on the trip I lost my Tilly hat, a valuable and sentimental item for me. I phoned the next day to see if they could find it for me. Two days later I got a phone call from a nice young lady to let me know that it had been found. I received it in the post today. Hurrah for Spike...