The fortress was once a naval base defending the Cork harbour area and then turned into one of the largest prisons in Ireland. It used to hold IRA prisoners during the British rule, then continued being used as a prison up until 2004. One of the best tours I have ever been, learned a lot about Irish history. Our guide is very informative and humorous. Highly recommend if you are stopping by Cobh. You can take the ferry to Spike Island. The ticket would include return trip of the ferry plus entrance to Fort Mitchell with a guided tour.

A fantastic place to visit. So much to see and learn about. The guided tour is recommended but you can explore yourself with the Spike Island App. Make sure to confirm your return ferry time and don't be late 😉

Spike Island has always been on my visiting list and was delighted to finally tick it off.. Our guide was full of knowledge and anecdotes and kept the group interested throughout the tour.. the museums are very informative and, at some parts, very sad.. It's hard to believe that it was still a working prison less than 20 years ago.. the walk around the island is amazing . So glad I got to experience this.

What a trip to spike island, the 3.5 hrs is just not enough. Soaked in history it was just mind blowing. I will definitely return. I would not do the outer walk the next time, I would come off the boat & go left to the village that was destroyed & then head straight for Fort Mitchell, amazing can't wait to go back

Spike Island was a amazing trip suitable for all ages. Bring your walking shoes .Marion our guide was a pure gem 💎

1st time at Spike , glad I visited ,feel so much more could be done , to make it an even better experience, like doing up some of the buildings like the marital quarters to show how the families lived. Some buildings could saved but would want to done soon. Interesting reading the history, views from the island are fantastic, especially on a bright day. Cafe very nice. Boat trip over and back great.€23 I think a little expensive tho, you do get 3.5hours on island but I feel a small bit more could be done to give value for cost.

It’s a hassle that the parking around the docks is 3 hours and the tour is 3 and a half hours so you need to use the free car park behind the impressive Cobh cathedral. For two adults and an under 12 was about €56 and included ferry crossing entrance to the fort and a small guided tour. You can either walk all around the island or stay closer to the fort which I would recommend. The tour is about 35 minutes then you are on your own. I believe you can get an audio guide giving more in depth information. The fort is well planned out and very neat and tidy. Information is displayed on boards detailing each area and what it was used for. The only down side is the coffee shop. It is fine for water and minerals but the coffee was bitter and burnt. I asked if it was okay if I flew my drone and once I produced my license and told them my flight plan they were more than happy to allow me fly. I would recommend a visit here as the place is full of historic interest and is different from the usual tours. It is a bit physical but they do provide very good access for people in wheelchairs or limited mobility. Also if you are not fit for the steep climb from the harbour to the cathedral car park you can get a taxi just across the road and it will be about €6.

This place is stunning! It s just unbelievable! A well preserved Fort with a long history that was also a prison! A lot of history, secret passage, underground rooms, beautiful museums, pathways, stairs, incredibly beautiful views of the bay area and lovely nature. We loved every second here for the feeling, experience, things to do and see. The only regret is that the visit lasted for only 3 hours but for sure you can do so much more here and spend a lot of time. We will do this because is a place to come back for and a beautiful gem for any travellers or history lovers! Definitely a must see in Ireland!

Fantastic monument and a great piece of Irish history. Jessie, the tour guide was amazing and informative!😀

Best visit-tour in Ireland. Voted best visitor experience in Europe ... and no surprise. Superb tours of an interesting fort/ prison that displays Irish history in a microcosm.

Great place, plenty to see, nice walking routes and loads of history there. Highly recommended 👌 👍

Great experience only thing I would have liked a bit more time to walk around the island. By the time we looked around the compound and had a bite to eat in the cafe there wasn't much time to take a proper walk about the island.

Very interesting but not lots to really see but some lovely views. Very little on the fort but lots on Irelands independence, which as it was used as a prison was not out of place but it was a bit over done.

Fab family trip. Centenary of the prisoner escape from 1921. Great tour and great history update, museum and shop. Night time and the moon added to the atmosphere. The guides definitely know their stuff and the island and scenery are fab. Could easily make a day of this during daylight.

Wonderful day out. The weather was beautiful which helped. The sea was calm. Lovely afternoon trip. Cafe on the island which is very nice. Also a playground outside cafe. Very interesting with fabulous views

Fantastic for a day out. Loads of the island I'd open and the prison. Lots of historical facts on display. Staff have great knowledge and are very friendly and helpful. Cafe has a variety of refreshments.

Very interesting visit to here/spike island. You book the boat over which includes the entrance and a short tour if you wish. Fascinating stories and exhibits. Great views as well on a nice day. Could spend all day here happily. Cafe on site and a nice walk round the whole island available.

Third visit. Its always great. Tour guide not as great as our very first tour guide. But still a great experience.

On Spike Island, so a short boat trip to get there. Fascinating history, good cafe and helpful staff. Unexpected museum containing army equipment too.

Great historical place to visit

My Daughter Grandkids and I loved our visit ❤️ We got the boat from the Pier. To our surprise 3 Seals decided to join us,swimming by the Boat. 🥰 Very friendly staff👍 Arrived and was met by Tour guide,friendly and funny too. Fascinating history,didn't know the "General" spent time here in the 80s ! Also Little Nell was born here too💕So much to see, the three and a half hours just flew by. Well worth a visit.

Great day. Lots to see. We were party of about 20 veterans. We got tour very interesting. Thanks to tour guide can't remember his name but he meet us at short notice on sun 23th October.

Spike Island's imposing fort has been a military outpost, a prison and is now a unique visitor experience. Owing to the need to access the island by boat, this is a day trip but is well worth the time as you'll be able to take in spectacular scenes, expertly documented and exhibited materials and buildings, and a fairly impressive gift shop. The stories of the residents who actually lived on the island until the 80s was an unexpected treat - I would strongly encourage the Irish government to invest in opening up the former village so that visitors can discover this relatable part of the island's story.

An interesting place to visit, full of history. The tour staff is friendly and well knowledged. Our guide was John G. Recommended!! Also, if you walk around the island you have a really good view of all the Harbour.

Very good place to visit. There is a lot of history to be learned about Fort Mitchell.

Lots of interesting history. Well worth a visit. Just be prepared for some walking, we made over 10,000 steps