Spike Island, County Cork

Spike Island
Native name:
Inis Pic
Gates of Fort Mitchel on Spike Island
Spike Island is located in County Cork
Spike Island
Spike Island
Spike Island in Ireland
Geography
LocationCork Harbour
Coordinates51°50′06″N 08°17′06″W / 51.83500°N 8.28500°W / 51.83500; -8.28500
Area0.41 km2 (0.16 sq mi)
Length0.8 km (0.5 mi)
Width0.5 km (0.31 mi)
Administration
CountyCounty Cork

Spike Island (Irish: Inis Píc) is an island of 103 acres (42 ha)[1] in Cork Harbour, Ireland. Originally the site of a monastic settlement,[2][3] the island is dominated by an 18th-century bastion fort now named Fort Mitchel.

The island's strategic location within the harbour meant it was used at times for defence and as a prison. Since the early 21st century the island has been developed as a heritage tourist attraction,[4] with €5.5 million investment in exhibition and visitor spaces[5] and accompanying tourism marketing.[6] There were in excess of 81,000 visitors to the island during 2019, a 21% increase on 2018 numbers.[7][8] Spike Island was named top European tourist attraction at the 2017 World Travel Awards.[9]

  1. ^ "Hopes for Alcatraz-style tourism after handover of Cork's Spike Island". Irish Times. 29 July 2009.
  2. ^ "History - Island sanctuary". Spikeislandcork.ie. Archived from the original on 20 February 2015. Retrieved 30 April 2015.
  3. ^ Coleman, James (1893). "The story of Spike Island (with note by G. E. H. Barrett-Hamilton)". Journal of the Cork Historical and Archaeological Society. 1. II. Cork Historical and Archaeological Society: 1–8.
  4. ^ "Plan to unlock potential of 'Ireland's Alcatraz'". Irish Independent. 29 July 2009.
  5. ^ "Spike Island opens to the public today and we look back at its darkest history". Irish Examiner. 4 June 2016. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
  6. ^ Esther Hayden (2 July 2016). "Ancient East TV ad showcases beauty of Hook Head". Independent.ie. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
  7. ^ "Spike Island visitor numbers increased by 10,000 in 2019". irishexaminer.com. Irish Examiner. 29 January 2020. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
  8. ^ "Spike Island looks to reach next level with a number of projects planned for 2019". irishexaminer.com. Irish Examiner. 24 October 2018. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
  9. ^ "Spike Island named Europe's top tourist attraction". Evening Echo. 30 September 2017. Retrieved 1 October 2017.