John Crotty – Author

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

The largest prison in the world – Spike Island prison

The largest prison in the world – Spike Island prison
The opening of a Spike Island prison in 1847 was completely unexpected just six months before. The enormous island fortress that dominated its center was constructed in 1804, built to defend an Empire. It enjoyed… View Post

Spike Island’s Republican prisoners – 1921

Spike Island’s Republican prisoners – 1921
TD’s, teachers, shirt cutters, cheese makers, farmers, dentists and more.. The Irish War of Independence raged throughout 1920, resulting in thousands of arrested Irish Republican prisoners and internees. This was more than Britain could suitably… View Post

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

Today with Maura and Daithi visit Spike Island Cork – Interview with Colm Flynn and John Crotty

Today with Maura and Daithi visit Spike Island Cork – Interview with Colm Flynn and John Crotty
Reporter Colm Flynn visits Ireland’s historic island to discover its rich history, interviewing manager John Crotty and other island staff. See other interviews related to Spike Island – Nationwide visit – How the Victorians built… View Post

How the Victorian’s built Britain visit Spike Island – Interview with Michael Buerk –

How the Victorian’s built Britain visit Spike Island – Interview with Michael Buerk –
This special episode of ‘How the Victorian’s built Britain’ focuses on crime and reform, visiting Spike Island Cork where John Crotty talks to host Michael Buerk about the super prison that was Ireland’s Alcatraz in… View Post