Spike Island, County Cork
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Spike Island (Irish: Inis Píc) is an island of 42 hectares[1] in Cork Harbour, Ireland.
It was significant in the French intervention following the Glorious Revolution, and was later purchased by the British government in 1779 – becoming the site of Fort Westmoreland.[2] (Named for John Fane, then Lord Lieutenant of Ireland.)
Later a prison and convict depot, it was used to house "convicts" prior to penal transportation. It remained in use as a garrison and prison through the Irish War of Independence, when IRA prisoners were held there. Richard Barrett was among those detained there, but escaped during the truce of 1921.
Following the Anglo-Irish Treaty, the island remained as one of the Treaty Ports, and was only handed back to the Free State in 1938. Upon its handover to the Irish state, the island's installations were renamed Fort Mitchel (after John Mitchel, nationalist activist and political journalist).[2]
The island remained the site of a prison and military base (for both the regular Irish Army and the FCÁ) for some time. The island is now vacant with residents moving to nearby Cobh and further afield. Life on the island was good to the residents with a small school, church and launch service to Cobh. It is known locally that the earth on Spike was excellent for growing crops. The island also had its own sports field located on the side of the Island. Most recently it was used as a correctional facility for youth, when in 1985 it became mildly notorious when the inmates mutinied and briefly controlled the area; one of the accommodation blocks caught on fire and is known as the Burnt Block. This facility closed in 2004.[1]
In May 2006 Minister for Justice Michael McDowell announced plans to build a new prison on the island; however on 25 January 2007, he decided to explore an alternative site near an army base. In 2007 a local task group was set up to re-open Spike as a historical tourist site, and in 2009 is was announced that ownership the island would be transferred (free of charge) to Cork County Council to enable its development as a tourist attraction. Cork County Council has now formed a steering group to explore how Spike Island can be developed as a tourist site and is seeking submissions from the public. see www.spikeislandcork.com [3]
[edit] References
Coordinates: 51°50′N 8°17′W / 51.833°N 8.283°W
 |
This geographical article about County Cork is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
