John Crotty – author
Posts on upcoming titles on Spike Island and personal development

The pirates and smugglers of Spike Island Cork

The pirates and smugglers of Spike Island Cork
Pirates have been carrying out their murderous activity ever since the first trade vessels took to the seas, so it is little wonder there would be a case of Spike Island pirates. The first documented… View Post

The explosion of the gunship Breda – 1691

The explosion of the gunship Breda – 1691
Spike Island is most famously known as Ireland’s Alcatraz, as a result of the Island housing four prisons over the four centuries. The island fortress is well known in military circles as one of the… 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

Escape from Spike Island – April 1921

Escape from Spike Island – April 1921
Spike Island opened as a prison for Irish Republican prisoners and internees in February 1921, while the Irish War of Independence raged and British Authorities was arresting more rebels than they could easily incarcerate. The… View Post

The Moon Car – the first and only assault on the British Garrison at Spike Island

The Moon Car – the first and only assault on the British Garrison at Spike Island
The Moon car and its association with Spike Island came after the turmoil of the Irish War of Independence. Ireland secured its freedom in a hard fought battle with Britain, but a bloody Civil War… View Post

The missing monastery of Spike Island Cork

The missing monastery of Spike Island Cork
Spike Island Cork is famous for its use as a prison and military island, with its first prison appearing as early as the mid-1600’s. Three more jails followed across the next four centuries, one of… View Post

The Englishman who loved Ireland – General Charles Vallancey

The Englishman who loved Ireland – General Charles Vallancey
In 18th century Ireland, Britain was a brutal oppressor. The penal laws of 1695 stripped the native Catholic population of many of their basic rights, from land ownership to voting entitlement. War and famine were… View Post