Two earlier forts had been built before hand as the strategic importance of Spike Island was noticed long before Winston Chruchill would call the island ‘The sentinel tower of the approaches to Western Europe’. The work on the Fort began in 1804 when the threat of invasion from Napoleon was very real but it was left incomplete with his defeat at Waterloo. The fort was designed and built by General Vallency, a character of his time who had 4 wives and 14 children. And the whole Fort is set down in such a way that it can barely be seen by enemy troops, making it almost impossible to target. Should anyone get close enough to the Fort, flanking galleries made for ideal sniper positions hovering over enemy troops. The points of the star shape meant that defenders could arc fire over all parts of the island, making the whole island one effective kill zone. The 24 acre star shaped Fort Mitchel is one of the largest in the world and it was the cutting edge of military technology when it was completed around 1850. Get captured in the history and mystery of this magical heritage island. Take the scenic ferry ride from Kennedy Pier, Cobh, and enjoy a fully guided tour of our island and fortress, and relax in our cafe and picnic areas. Today the island is dominated by the 200 year old Fort Mitchel, the star shaped Fortress which became a prison holding over 2300 prisoners. Over the course of its history, what is now called Fort Mitchel has been used as a base by the British and the Irish armies, the Irish Coast Defence Artillery and the Irish Naval Service. The island’s rich history has included monks and monasteries, rioters and redcoats, captains and convicts and sinners and saints. In the last 1300 years Spike Island has been host to a 6th century Monastery, a 24 acre Fortress, the largest convict depot in the world in Victorian times and centuries of island homes. Coastal Defences, Fort Mitchell - Spike Islandįort Mitchell, (Fort Westmoreland), Spike Island, County Cork, Ireland
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