Spike Island to celebrate birthday with party and fireworks display

Mon, 13 Jun, 2022 - 18:05

Sarah Horgan

A FIREWORKS display is set to light up Cork Harbour in a nod to Spike Island’s commemoration celebrations taking place next month.

The island celebrates its 84th birthday on July 11, marking the date on which the island officially transferred from British to Irish control in 1938. Spike Island was retained in 1922 as one of the Treaty ports following the conclusion of the War of Independence. 159 years of occupation by the British military was brought to an end 17 years later. In the 84 years since the handover, the island has been used as an Irish Army and naval base before finally being opened as a visitor attraction in 2016.

Spike Island will mark the occasion with a fireworks display and family fun evening. This year the event will take place on July 17, with limited tickets on sale. Restrictions associated with the pandemic halved celebrations over the past two years. Nonetheless, the hugely popular event will return this year with full capacity.

Event

Visitors will have the chance to board the ferry and enjoy a guided tour on arrival.

They can also explore the fort’s museums and exhibitions and explore island nature trails. Families will have the opportunity to enjoy entertainment with performances by musicians, face painters among other crowd pleasers. To close the night, a fireworks display will launch 1,300 fireworks into the sky over Cork Harbour, to represent every inmate who died on the island. The Victorian-era prison was a harsh regime and at its height with one inmate a day dying on the island.

Island manager John Crotty said the island is excited to welcome visitors to view the new additions on offer. “It has been a long three years since we last marked this momentous occasion in the island’s history,” he said.

“On that day in 1938, Ireland grew just a little larger in size, but infinitely larger in stature. We look forward to celebrating the occasion by lighting up Cork Harbour and sharing our rich history with eager attendees”.