July 6 marked a very special day, says John Arnold. Here's why...

In a new weekly column, we share videos by Dario Cascio (The Sicilian Wanderer) about some of Cork's favourite places and people. Here Dario visits Spike Island - which was once the largest prison in the world - and the most feared

IT APPEARS Spike Island is not just a popular destination for tourists if the latest UFO sighting in Cork is to be believed.

PRISONERS at Spike Island were mostly from “blackspots of disadvantage” and were essentially “locked up for being poor”, according to new research from University College Cork.

ALMOST 400 people turned out to Cork’s award-winning tourist attraction Spike Island yesterday to celebrate the 80th anniversary of its historic handover from Britain to Ireland.