Spike Island

[merritt]

My 3x gt grandfather was imprisoned on Spike Island in 1847.  As we are visiting Ireland in June I would like to know if it is possible to visit the Island and also if there any records of the prisoners held there.

Valerie

[km1971]

Hi Valerie

I don't think it will be open by this summer - http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/0728/spikeisland.html - but you should contact Cork Tourist Board. You will need a boat as unlike some of the other islands in Cork harbour it is not linked to the mainland by a causeway.

You can get more information if you go to www.google.ie and search for spike island on that site. It came up on the forum a few weeks ago - http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,441795.0.html

Ken

[merritt]

Thank you Ken

I have asked on the Spike Island web site.  Fingers crossed

Valerie

[Guidingspirit]

Hello Valerie,
                     I too have an interest in Spike Island around the time that your 3xgreat grandfather was incarcerated there. My 2xgreat grandfather was on the Island with his wife and three children when my great grandfather was born in 1849. I am awaiting the arrival of my great grandfathers birth certificate which should tell me what his father's profession was ( I am hoping he was a soldier) and then I will be able to trace him through the military route. Which brings me to the main thrust of my message which is that the military kept barrack returns, muster records etc so I am inclined to think that they also had records of prisoners. If my 2xgreat grandfather was a soldier then I will try to access his military history at the National Archives and if I can find out anything about lists of prisoners I will let you know. By the way, have you read the book by Michael Martin called "Spike Island" saints, felons and famine? I found it fascinating and not a little disturbing as a lot of the prisoners died but there are some names of prisoners in the book so there must be a record of them somewhere.
Good luck with your visit to Ireland, I hope you get to visit Spike Island as it's a journey I hope to make myself. Jean.

[merritt]

Hi Jean

Thank you for that information.  I gather that my ancestor Martin Farrell was lucky to survive Spike Island.  He was a victim of the famine when he and 2 daughters stole a sheep.  The daughters were transported 2 years before Martin and they were all  reunited in Hobart.  The older daughter came on to NZ much later but Martin died, a free man,  in Tasmania.  The really sad thing is that Martin sent for his wife and 3 other children when he gained his freedom but they has all perished in the famine.

 I have made enquiries through Cork Tourism to see if it is possible to visit Spike Island in June but have had no reply.

I have found this Amazon Uk site for Michael Martins book and intend to follow this up when we are in the UK in July.

Thanks Valerie

[Guidingspirit]

Hello again Valerie,
                               Thank you for sharing your family history with me, I was wondering what became of him and his family but now you have answered my question. It is difficult for us to comprehend what they must have gone through at that terrible time in Ireland's history and to be imprisoned for simply trying to survive seems criminal in itself. I have managed to find out that Cork County Council are hoping to open Spike Island to tourists by the summer (mid 2010 they say) which hopefully means June when you will be there. Apparently it is the dreaded health and safety issues that are holding things up but I do so hope that you will be able to visit the Island and make your pilgrimage. I can imagine that the energies on that Island are awesome and you will, no doubt, be able to imagine what those poor dear souls were feeling as they walked through the gates of that prison leaving their loved ones behind to almost certain death. I hope that you have a wonderful holiday in Ireland, I have never been but it is something that I hope to put right soon. I live in Brixham, Devon, England which is a beautiful part of the world but somehow Ireland feels like England used to be and I long to visit the home of my ancestors.
                                                              Kindest Regards Jean. 

[celtic liberty]

Hi Folks,

Am glad you liked the book on Spike by Michael Martin that I recommended
and glad that you arenow recommending it to others.  It really does give a good insight into life there at that time.  I have to totally agree with the author Michael Martin that the Irish people   were so poverty sticken and poor only stole to feed their families and were not felons at all.   How sad the whole situation was for them.

Anyway just browsing the 1911 census and it gives  a good idea of the people,
barracks, schools, churches and dwellings on Spike.  If you go into www.nationalarchives.ie/census key in Cork for County and Spike Island for townland and all of the inhabitants at the time come up.  Nos. 31 to 66 is the barracks return.  If you scroll down the page and  go into Form B1 it gives a good idea of the buildings - Private dwellings, schools (2 C of E & 1 Catholic) also 2 churches,  I did notice most of the inhabitants were C of E .Methodist or Presbyterian and few Catholics.  Those listed were mostly employed by the War Dept (Uk) .  The places of birth are very interesting and vary from Malta, Gibralter, UK , Ireland, India, Aden, Bermuda and many more.  It appears that Spike had it's own churches ( in 1911 anyway) it might have been the same in 1840-1860's.

See what you think.

Guiding spirit I havn't forgotten you.   I was in Library today and did a bit of research on Spike Island in earlier days but need to go back again and will get back to you.  Found a small bit of info on the schools in 1800's so will post when that is done.

Mary

[Guidingspirit]

Bless your heart, Mary, I am having real trouble trying to nail down any reference at all to the Tomney family being on Spike Island so I am most grateful for your efforts.
I sent away for my great grandfathers birth certificate in the hope that it would reveal his fathers profession and mothers maiden name but having hoped and waited for 3 weeks they now tell me that they couldn't locate it in the Irish BMD's but I was under the impression that it would be in the British records under the British Military.
I have, however, managed to obtain a copy of my great grandfathers service papers and as it mentions that his children were baptised by a "Rev" I am thinking that the family were probably Anglican.
Yes, the book that you recommended to me "Spike Island, Saints Felons and Famine" is well worth reading for anyone interested in Spike Islands history and I do so agree with you that most of the people incarcerated or transported were simply doing what they had to do to survive. Valerie's story illustrates that fact.
Thank you so much for all your help and I look forward to hearing from you.
Jean.

[merritt]

Hi All

I have had contact with a friend who lives outside Cork.  She tells me that you can sail around Spike Island on a harbour cruise, but that is not really what I want.  She hasn't given up so heres hoping.  She seems to think that they are turning it into a tourist attraction, which I had heard about, but that the Irish economy is so bad everything is grinding to a halt.  Oh well, perhaps I can hire a boat.

Valerie