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Calling all rebels to Spike Island Cork
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Work is underway at Spike Island Cork to convert a large section of the islands Mitchel hall into a new ‘Independence’ exhibition, focusing on the Irish fight for freedom and celebrating the 1400 men interned on the island in 1921.
The exhibition will follow a timeline from 1914 to 1921 and detail the causes for the rebellion and the failed 1916 rising, with visitors set to ‘stand trail’ as one of several characters accused of treason against the Crown. Sentenced to Spike island, visitors then learn what life was like for the incarcerated rebels and how not all of them would make it off of the island. A genealogy room will also allow visitors to research relatives, namesakes and people from their own county to discover the sentences and fate of the Irish republicans.
Many of the men held were simply lifted off the streets and held without trial while others were convicted in military courts without due process before being held on ‘Ireland’s Alcatraz’. It would be the 3rd time in 3 centuries the island would be used as a prison having previously held Crowmwellian prisoners in the 1600’s prior to transportation to Bermuda, and the island became the largest prison in the world holding over 2300 men and boys during the famine years.
The Cork County Council attraction is asking members of the public to consider donating relevant artefacts and information on the Irish war of independence, 1919 – 1921, for use in the islands upcoming exhibition, due to open in April 2019.
The island hopes to attract donations or receive information on the men held on the island to compliment the exhibition, of whom presently a great deal is known. The island’s assistant manager Tom O’Neill has done extensive research on the men held on the island and said “we are at about 95% completion for the records of the men interned here, and we can share the trial date, charge, sentence and other information for the men held on Spike”. “We are hoping family members will come forward with relevant information on those men but even if an individual had an artefact related to the period or any information from the era, it would find a fitting home in this exhibition”.
The permanent exhibition is just part of a wider upgrade to the military storytelling on Spike which will see the islands army and navy rooms also get a revamp to complement the new exhibition. “We hope to create a distinct time line from the formation of the state to the creation of the Irish Defence forces”, said Island manger John Crotty. “The War of Independence is just one of several projects underway for the 2019 season, with a ‘Ring of Spike’ walking trail and a new ‘Shivs and Shanks’ exhibit going into our 1985 cells before we reopen”.
The island is set to reopen on February 02nd for weekends and half-terms in February, March and April, before 7 day opening May to September.
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