page_title: Spike Island, County Cork
section_title: Later use
hierarchical_section_title: Spike Island, County Cork / History / Later use
caption_attribution_description: This is British Army Lance-Corporal E.J. Thomas and his family leaving Cobh. The family presumably returned to England. On Monday, 11 July 1938, the Irish army took over from the last of the British Garrison at Spike Island in Cork Harbour. As the Irish Independent reported, it had been 17 years since the Truce of 1921 when the British flag was lowered on Spike Island, and Irish sentries mounted duty for the first time. Date: 10 July 1938 NLI Ref.: IND_H_3281
context_page_description: Spike Island is an island of 103 acres in Cork Harbour, Ireland. Originally the site of a monastic settlement, the island is dominated by an 18th-century star fort 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, with €5.5 million investment in exhibition and visitor spaces and accompanying tourism marketing. There were in excess of 81,000 visitors to the island during 2019, a 21% increase on 2018 numbers. Spike Island was named top European tourist attraction at the 2017 World Travel Awards.
context_section_description: Later a prison and convict depot, the island was used to house convicts prior to penal transportation. Opened in 1847 to deal with growing number of convictions for theft during the Great Famine, the prison grew into what "for a few years in the mid-19th century [..] was probably [..] the biggest prison in the British Empire". It gained a reputation as "Ireland's Alcatraz".
  Spike Island was home to Ellen (Nellie) Organ who gained special permission to take First Communion shortly before her death at the age of 4. On hearing her story, the pope lowered the age at which communion could be taken, from 12 to 7.
  The island 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. Over 1400 men were held on the island at its peak  until the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty.
  On 6 December 1921, the Anglo-Irish Treaty was concluded. It provided for the establishment of the Irish Free State which happened on 6 December 1922. The Treaty included provisions by which the British would retain sovereignty over three strategically important ports known as the Treaty ports, one of which is described in the Treaty as:
  Queenstown(b) Harbour defences to remain in charge of British care and maintenance parties. Certain mooring buoys to be retained for use of His Majesty's ships.
  Accordingly, even after the establishment of the Irish Free State, the Royal Navy continued to maintain its presence at Spike Island. Spike Island remained under British sovereignty until 11 July 1938 when pursuant to the Anglo-Irish Trade Agreement of 25 April 1938, the territory was ceded to Ireland. The handover ceremonies were attended by senior military and political figures, including Éamon de Valera and Frank Aiken.
caption: A member of the British Army (with family) departing following the cession of Spike Island (July 1938)
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