John Crotty – Author

The Gravedigger – Dubliner Joseph Dwyer

The Gravedigger – Dubliner Joseph Dwyer
In the Victorian world of the deadly and dastardly, Joseph Dwyer’s crime stood out… Dublin of the mid-1850’s was a place of contrast. In the century beforehand, the city had developed a beautiful Georgian centre,… View Post

The world’s greatest explorer and the lost city of gold

The world’s greatest explorer and the lost city of gold

The worlds greatest explorer found himself living on Spike Island Cork for three years

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The warrior poet and the Dubliner – teacher Edward Walsh

The warrior poet and the Dubliner – teacher Edward Walsh
Spike Island has had a long association with writers. Several former residents have published books, while a number of other visitors have inspired them, including former prisoners. These published works range from the adventures of… View Post

John Patrick Leonard – Our man in Paris

John Patrick Leonard – Our man in Paris
At a time when Spike Island was being carved up and commandeered for the defence of the British Empire, a curious thing happened.  A child was born on this tiny island in the early 19th… View Post

Ireland’s greatest prison escapologist

Ireland’s greatest prison escapologist
Escape from Spike Island prison seemed impossible, but that would not stop the daring. Prison escapes have long fascinated us, with incredibly popular movies like the Shawshank redemption and Escape from Alcatraz proving enduring hits.… View Post

Fort Mitchel, Spike Island– making a military monster

Fort Mitchel, Spike Island– making a military monster
The history of the largest military structure in Ireland… The first fortification on Spike Island arrived in 1779 while the American War of Independence raged.  American vessels were capable of crossing the Atlantic and wreaking… View Post

The first prison on Ireland’s Alcatraz? Oliver Cromwell in Ireland and Spike Island Cork.

The first prison on Ireland’s Alcatraz? Oliver Cromwell in Ireland and Spike Island Cork.
The name Oliver Cromwell impacts an Irish ear with a forceful thud.  In a nation full of easy going individuals, there are few quicker ways to set pulses racing than to mention his name. If… View Post