John Crotty – Author

RTE’s Nationwide visit Spike Island Cork – Interview with former manager John Crotty

RTE’s Nationwide visit Spike Island Cork – Interview with former manager John Crotty
In this interview RTE’s Nationwide discuss the future for the Irish Alcatraz, which only reopened to visitors in 2016 following major reinvestment, and close to two centuries being off limits to the general public. 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

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 1938 Spike Island handover from a reluctant Britain to Ireland.

The 1938 Spike Island handover from a reluctant Britain to Ireland.
Ireland won a hard fought freedom for 26 counties in 1921, as an Empire was brought to the negotiating table by brave Republicans following a bloody War of Independence. Spike Island, which had been occupied… 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 ghosts and paranormal activity of Spike Island…

The ghosts and paranormal activity of Spike Island…
Spike Island Cork is an unparalleled repository of Irish history. Nowhere else on Irish soil and very few sites globally can claim the same depth and breadth of historical endeavour. Fewer sites still are fortunate… View Post