Spike Island, Cork Harbour

A Poem by Dolores M. Stephenson

Spike Island

I am an island you may know

My Story started long ago

Many a monk sailed to my shores

And took to prayer behind closed doors

A Sixth-Century Monastery, a place of peace

But my fate did not grow from the roots of serenity

I was the defender of this harbour, the port of Cork

Proud to serve my land I soon became a fort

Built by General Valancy, it would affect so many lives

He made quite a few of his own

Not hard when you have 4 wives!

And my family are the lands I see around

Haulbowline, Crosshaven and Cobh Town

And soon a famine would begin

It spread to other towns within

A nation in a sorry state

My job was to incarcerate

I kept man out when I began

To lock him in was not the plan

And if you survived this destination

You may suffer the fate of transportation

Once the biggest prison in the world

This was not a place to wait

They called me Ireland's Alcatraz

And I do not discriminate

Men and children will do their time

Repent your ways, transform

A place of punishment and fear

I am not here to reform

Did the punishment fit the crime?

Harsh conditions of the time

But reserved for the worst prisoners of all

It was hell on earth within these walls

Chained to a cell, your only friend the dark of night

Not even a window to see day light

The dream of escape, oh but to run and flee

A few took their chances in the Irish sea

But for the wicked there is no rest

Alas, there was to be short lived success

And what of John Mitchel who stood up for the rights

Of those who had not the strength or courage to fight

For the voice of the broken, he stood his ground

For the act of reform the spike system was found

And for a while the prison would close

The military would take over the fort

But nothing lasts for ever of course

In '85 the prison reopened its doors

Tensions did rise for the conditions within

A riot began, final closure was sure to begin

When Spike prison closed down on that final day

All the suffering of the lost within those cells would stay

They were shadows of the past

A ghostly spell was cast

After all the things I've seen

The ghosts are no surprise

In the darkness they were hidden

Do you see them rise?

Oh there were so many characters that stayed here

And in a film I did appear

The explorer Percy that he was to be

He left to find "The Lost City of Z"

And now adventurers from far away

Come to spend with me a day

My mission now?

To put a smile on your face

But do not forgot this place

You may feel a bit sad of what went before

But it's just a good day out with a little more

So I hope you have a pleasant trip

to this Island in the sea

Where the troubles of my past

will make you feel carefree

But don't forget to catch the boat

That would be unforgettable

Cos you'll spend the night with those ghosts

At least there are rooms available!

© Dolores M. Stephenson