Author: Arek

Get ready for a spooktacular adventure like no other!

Join us at Spike Island this Halloween for the ultimate family-friendly event, The Spookfest Trail.

Bring your little goblins and witches and hop on board the ferry before embarking on a fang-tastic adventure through the mysterious Spike Island, where you will find areas of the ancient fortress and prison transformed into a realm of Halloween spookiness!
Along with their families, the little ones can trick or treat their way around the fortress with our brand new Halloween trail – keep an eye out for our friendly tour guides who will be handing out sweet treats along the way!

Along the trail, there will be spectacular fire juggling performances every hour by Cork circus skills performer, Circus Cake.

Once your trick or treating is complete, you can relax at our cafe and kids playground. Our historic island also offers an array of child-friendly exhibitions as well as scenic island walks.

Don’t miss out on this unique Halloween experience, where history meets spook-tacular fun! Get your costumes ready and join us for an afternoon of enchantment, exploration, and Halloween surprises – the Spike Island Spookfest Trail promises a memorable Halloween experience that will delight children and parents alike.

Suitable for children aged 2+

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Spike Island After Dark presents Conviction by Dean Jacob

When darkness falls,
the island’s past comes to life…

Brave the dark this Halloween as Spike Island After Dark returns with a chilling new experience created exclusively for adults.

Your night begins with a special guided journey into the hidden corners of Ireland’s infamous prison island. Led by one of our expert guides, you’ll explore eerie prison corridors, descend into dark underground tunnels and uncover unsettling stories from Spike Island’s past in places rarely experienced after nightfall.

But your journey into the darkness does not end there.

The experience culminates in Conviction, a brand-new live show from renowned mentalist and escape artist Dean Jacob.

Through mind-bending illusions, thrilling escapes and haunting encounters, Dean will draw you into a world where perception cannot be trusted and every choice has consequences.
Prepare to be captivated, unsettled and amazed as you witness the seemingly impossible unfold before you.

Do you believe in free will?

Curiosity has consequences.

Combining Spike Island’s atmospheric surroundings, a specially created guided experience and a gripping live performance by Dean Jacob, Spike Island After Dark promises an unforgettable Halloween night unlike any other.

Tickets are limited. Book now – before the darkness closes in.

Please note: This event is strictly for guests aged 18 and over.

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Culture Night at Spike Island will feature a screening of Mná na DXP, a powerful 14-minute documentary marking 30 years of the Dillon’s Cross Project (DXP), a Cork City education centre supporting women whose lives have been affected by the incarceration of loved ones within the Irish prison system.

Through the women’s own voices, Mná na DXP reflects on resilience, friendship and the strong sense of belonging fostered through the Dillon’s Cross Project over the past three decades.

The documentary was directed by Cork-based printmaker and visual artist Paul La Rocque. As a teacher with the Dillon’s Cross Project, Paul brings a unique insight and perspective to the film.

The event will begin with an introduction exploring the development of the documentary and the collaborative process behind its creation, followed by a short Q&A before the screening.

After the film, women from the Dillon’s Cross Project will share their personal experiences, reflecting on the impact the project has had on their lives, their families and their community.

Title: Mná na DXP
Director: Paul La Rocque
Editing and Music: Caoilian Sherlock
Graphics: Aoife La Rocque
Duration: 14 minutes

Date: Friday, 18 September
Time: 5 – 7 pm
Venue: Mitchel Hall and C-Class Cells at Spike Island

This piece was inspired by words by Max Porter, written for an exhibition at the Boole Library as part of the Lifelong Learning Festival. His text reflects on apology as a complex and open question: who we apologise to, who we seek apology from, whether forgiveness is necessary, and how these acts might extend beyond the human to society, history, and the natural world.

The Dillon’s Cross Project was invited to exhibit We Are All in the Same Boat for three weeks as part of this programme. At the centre of the installation was an “apology box,” inviting participants to respond through words and stitch—offering reflections, confessions, memories, and gestures of care.

These contributions were gathered into bunting that formed part of a larger installation. The sail incorporated writings and drawings created by the women involved, and in some cases by their children and grandchildren. Many responses drew inspiration from the sea—its movement, colour, and shifting moods—becoming a shared language for emotion, resilience, and change.

Since September 2023, the project has been developed in collaboration with Sounds from a Safe Harbour and Max Porter, exploring storytelling, belonging, healing, and collective care. The women also facilitated a workshop at University College Cork, where participants were invited to write or stitch an apology, creating a shared space for reflection and connection.

At its core, the work considers how people hold one another through vulnerability. It suggests that creativity—through writing, stitching, making, or listening—can become a form of repair and understanding.

We Are All in the Same Boat reflects the empathy within the group, where shared experience fosters connection and care. It reminds us that, at some level, we are all navigating the same conditions.

Here, apology is understood not only as regret, but as offering: a bridge, a recognition, and an act of collective care.

These artworks respond to the layered and imagined history of Spike Island from the 1780s onwards, exploring themes of arrival, loss, confinement, and communication across time. Developed in collaboration with the Spike Island curator, the project drew on stories, historical accounts, and imagery from the island’s collection, providing a rich foundation for reflection and creative interpretation.

Structured as a visual narrative, the three paintings trace an emotional and historical journey.

The Arrival captures the first encounter with the island—a crossing marked by uncertainty, transition, and the beginning of imprisonment.

The Funeral forms the emotional centre of the work. Rather than depicting a single death, it represents a collective act of mourning, reflecting on absence, anonymity, and the lasting impact of incarceration across generations.

The Message turns outward, exploring memory, communication, and the desire to be heard beyond the prison walls. It speaks to connection, legacy, and the possibility of hope.

The programme explores broader conversations around interpretation, storytelling, and visual language. Participants consider larger questions such as the role of a gallery, whose histories are preserved, and how artworks are selected, curated, and presented. These discussions are supported by practical exercises in curation and exhibition-making.

By bringing the Crawford Art Gallery into the prison classroom, Beyond The Frame aims to connect incarcerated individuals with the world of art and culture. The programme encourages reflection, dialogue, creativity, and confidence, presenting art not as something distant or exclusive, but as a living practice through which personal experiences, historical perspectives, and shared meanings can be expressed.

Throughout the programme, participants have created a diverse body of individual artworks, responding to themes through their own experiences, perspectives, and visual voices.