Spike Island attraction ‘a long way’ from breaking even

Cork County Council warns it’s “a long way” from breaking even on money it has invested in Spike Island, even though the island has won a number of international tourism awards.

However, it is taking new steps to hit the magic 100,000-vistor-per-year mark which will make the island pay for itself.

John Forde, a senior official working in the council’s tourism section, told a meeting in County Hall that they will be seeking tenders in August for a three-year contract to run a 120-passenger ferry from Cobh to the island. The capacity of the current ferry is only 70.