The Day we Went to Spike Island

 Brian O’Flynn was booked to come and collect us again at 10:30 this morning. It’s very convenient having a taxi driver on tap. He was so friendly and engaging the first time he collected us that we asked for his number so we could book him for other trips, and the relationship is working very well. 

He was right on time today and we were confident the timing was right for the 11am train to Cobh.  At 10:50 when we were still stuck in slow moving traffic we all exchanged worried glances, but clearing the traffic, good ole Brian floored it, got us through the next set of lights on green and screeched to a halt outside the station with 7 minutes to spare!  What were we worried about?

Once we were back in Cobh, we walked to the Spike Island ferry terminal and redeemed our tickets with plenty of time to spare before its departure, keeping a wary eye on the weather and the on again off again showers that we have become accustomed to and accepted as a daily offering. 



The island, originally a monastic settlement, later became a military fortification due to its strategic position in Cork Harbour. It was also used as a prison for convicts before transportation and later a garrison and prison during the Irish War of Independence. Late in the 20th century it became a youth correctional centre for ‘joyriders’! The prison finally closed in 2004. 



A small civilian population co-existed with the island’s other functions over the years with facilities such as a school and a church. We were able to explore the old village and you could just picture the villagers going about their daily lives in the cluster of houses centred on the village green. People who spent their childhoods on the island speak fondly of the freedom and fun they had growing up there. 




All this we gleaned from our three hour visit, which included a brief and sketchy guided tour of a couple of the points of interest. This aspect of the day was quite disappointing. 

We were back on the ferry in time for the 3:30 departure and enjoyed the views of pretty Cobh from the water. 



The return train to Cork was packed with an enthusiastic scouting group whose chatter provided the soundtrack of the journey.  Stepping off in the city we set about finding a supermarket and then a bus home, both of which turned out to be lengthy expeditions. 

We have spent a companionable evening discussing the day and a range of other topics including local councils, accountants and rental properties, to name a few!  

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