Alcatraz of the south

I FEEL the Government decision to build a new prison on Spike Island is flawed.

A far more suitable site could have been acquired in the Cork region at a cost much less that the €10m mooted for the construction of a bridge to the island.

The real tragedy, however, would be the destruction of a heritage site and the lost opportunity to develop a tourist attraction to rival Alcatraz and Robben Island.

Spike Island has a documented history dating back 14 centuries. The Government should declare it a heritage site and put in place a process, through archaeological investigation, to have it listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Hendrick Verwey

Old Church

Cobh

Co Cork