Haunting of Spike Island: Ghosts of Cork, Ireland

Spike Island, Ireland

Spike Island has been compered to Alcatraz for its use as a prison and dark history, but in reality, Spike Island may be far more haunted.

The island sits just off the coast fo Cork, Ireland and stands at a mammoth size, spanning 103 acres. It originally started its life as a monastic settlement, but today the land is dominated by the massive Fort Mitchel, built in the 1770s. During times of war, this impressive fort was of great importance to secure safety for the British Empire, but the island would also be used multiple times as a prison, with many of the buildings converted to hold inmates.

Overcrowding, poor conditions and famine lead to many deaths on the island, with mass graves of former inmates still remaining within Spike Island’s earth. Containing so much dark history, many speculate the island to be incredibly haunted.

Spike Island Ghosts

There are many ghosts said to remain trapped on Spike island, and they have been seen, felt and heard in various areas. Perhaps the most famous is that of the Gaunt Gunner. This ghost has been sighted for years all over Spike Island and has been described as a soldier with no eyes. Reports date back to the 1940s of this spirit and it is so obvious when seen, that it has even been fired at by soldiers on duty, who at first believe the spirit to be a living intruder.

Many also claim the underground tunnels to be haunted. These were originally used to store weapons and ammunition, yet later served the purpose of solitary confinement cells for prisoners. The other solitary confinement cells, in the punishment block on the opposite side of the island, are also rumored to be haunted. Here, many have sighted shadows, heard footsteps and even voices from the past.

Perhaps the most active area of the island though, is what is referred to as the abandoned jail. This cellblock dates back to the 1980s and many reports of a shadow man have come from here, with some photographic evidence of him also being captured. People have even claimed to hear screaming and to be physically hurt by the spirits here.

Another area of interest is what is refereed to as A Block. This was a building originally constructed as a military barracks, though it was later converted to a prison. Due to in-proper prison conditions, inmates were able to riot and burn this area to the ground, with only its shell still standing. It is said that before it was burned down, there was one area of A-Block that was so haunted it once had to be blessed by a priest to stop attacks and poltergeist activity from occurring.

Visiting the Haunted Spike Island

Spike Island is a truly fascinating place with a great deal of history to explore. Day tours are available on the island and a short boat ride over from Cork is included. Paranormal Researchers Ireland also offer paranormal investigations and ghost tours regularly on Spike Island. I highly recommend checking them out!

If you are interested in learning about other haunted places in Ireland, make sure to check out Leap Castle.

Thanks for reading!

xoxo