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

Hunger strikes, prison riot & the murder of Daniel Clancy – The Irish Republican unrest on Spike Island,1921

Hunger strikes, prison riot & the murder of Daniel Clancy – The Irish Republican unrest on Spike Island,1921
Spike Island started 1921 as a British Military base, a function it had occupied since 1779. Built to defend the important Cork Harbour from Napoleonic attack, the fort was converted into a prison in 1847,… View Post

The boy they made a murderer – Edmond Power

The boy they made a murderer – Edmond Power
Spike Island went from sleepy military outpost to epic island prison in October 1847, while the Irish famine raged. An explosion in convictions led to more prisoners than the jail or transportation system could handle. … View Post

Spike Island Riot! The night Ireland’s Alcatraz burned

Spike Island Riot! The night Ireland’s Alcatraz burned
Spike Island opened as a prison for the fourth time in 400 years in 1985, following its use as a Republican prison in 1921, the largest prison in the world in the mid-1800’s and a… View Post

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

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 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

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