Events centre to form part of Spike Island revamp

A planned €40m revamp of Spike Island, to create a tourist mecca, will include an events centre with a capacity for 6,000 people.

Cork County Council members will discuss the proposals on Monday. The plans have been compiled by a team of experts, led by architects Scott Tallon Walker and destination specialists CHL Consulting.

The proposals provide for a new 100-acre national park on the water in Cork harbour, with the 40-acre Mitchel Fort at its centre, which will be redeveloped into cultural heritage attractions and museums.

A council spokesman said the redevelopment will be carried out in a number of phases and will include community-based projects, adventure tourism, a major aquarium, and a centre dedicated to oceanography.

The first phase will be generally small scale and focused on the island’s environment and its history.

The spokesman said: “Phase two will concentrate on ‘The Fort Experience,’ living history interpretation, enhanced fort tours, visitor services etc. Phase three will include a major attraction combining a uniquely designed aquarium with demonstrations of the marine research being conducted by Cork-based education and research institutions.”

He said the project management committee is also expected to organise major summertime events and concerts “growing to independent and national events with capacities for over 6,000 people”.

Over the past four centuries, Spike Island has been both an important military, coastal defence post, and prison. It was not freely accessible until 2010 when the Department of Justice handed it over to the local authority.