Category: Fireworks

2025 Spike Island Fireworks Spectacular

Post author By Arek
Post date March 20, 2025

Spike Island Fireworks Spectacular 2025

The hugely popular Spike Island Fireworks Spectacular is set to return with a bang on Sunday, 1st June, lighting up the sky over Cork Harbour for an unforgettable night of celebration. Traditionally held later in the summer, this year’s event moves to an earlier date, allowing us to not only commemorate our Independence Day – the anniversary of the historic handover of Spike Island from Britain to Ireland – but also to officially kick off the 2025 summer season.

Visitors will enjoy an evening of captivating entertainment, live music, and family-friendly activities,
all leading up to the spectacular fireworks display that has become a highlight of the Cork events calendar.

Whether you’re a returning visitor or experiencing the magic of Spike Island for the first time, this is an event not to be missed.

Join us for an explosive start to summer 2025 – secure your tickets now!

To facilitate the smooth flow of the event, boats will begin to depart from Cobh at 4:40 pm.
Early arrivals will have ample time to enjoy all that the island has to offer and will also be among the first to depart the island after the event concludes.
The fireworks display will take place at 10:45 pm approx and return boats will commence thereafter.

Tickets are on sale now and advance booking is essential for this event.

Event Fireworks

Independence Celebrations 2023

Post author By Arek
Post date July 8, 2023

Fireworks light up Fort Mitchel on Spike Island and across Cork Harbour to celebrate Independence Day on Spike Island. It was July 11th 1938 that Spike Island was eventually handed from British to Irish control, a huge seventeen years after Irish Independence. The islands fort and strategic setting were considered so important by the British, they insisted on keeping the location as part of the Cork Harbour forts, and other treaty ports in Berehaven and Lough Swilly. Photo Joleen Cronin

Spike Island to light up Cork Harbour for 85th Birthday Celebrations & Commemorations.

At Spike Island, we’re celebrating our 85th birthday this year with our annual Family Fun Evening and Fireworks Display, marking the date when Spike Island was officially handed from Britain to Ireland in 1938. In honour of this momentous occasion, we’ll be celebrating our Independence Day with a spectacular fireworks display, musical performances and family fare on Saturday 8th July.

Visitors will board the ferry across the world’s second largest natural harbour, enjoy a guided tour on arrival, explore the fort’s amazing museums and exhibitions and walk the amazing island nature trails. On this special night, there will also be family entertainment, children’s activities, pop-up musical performances, face painters and more.

To close the night, a fireworks display will launch 1300 fireworks into the sky over Cork Harbour, one for every inmate who died on the island in its three incarnations as a prison.

This year, to mark the 85th anniversary of the 1938 handover of the ‘Treaty Ports’ from Britain to Ireland, Spike Island is also hosting a new Handover Exhibition at Mitchel Hall featuring a newly added collection of original artefacts. Visitors will have the opportunity to view this exhibition telling the story of our independence on the evening of the celebrations event.

Event Fireworks

Spike Island Independence Celebrations 2023

Post author By Arek
Post date June 2, 2023

Spike Island to light up Cork Harbour for 85th Birthday Celebrations & Commemorations.

At Spike Island, we’re celebrating our 85th birthday this year with our annual Family Fun Evening and Fireworks Display, marking the date when Spike Island was officially handed from Britain to Ireland in 1938. In honour of this momentous occasion, we’ll be celebrating our Independence Day with a spectacular fireworks display, musical performances and family fare on Saturday 8th July.

To close the night, a fireworks display will launch 1300 fireworks into the sky over Cork Harbour, one for every inmate who died on the island in its three incarnations as a prison.

This year, to mark the 85th anniversary of the 1938 handover of the ‘Treaty Ports’ from Britain to Ireland, Spike Island is also hosting a new Handover Exhibition at Mitchel Hall featuring a newly added collection of original artefacts. Visitors will have the opportunity to view this exhibition telling the story of our independence on the evening of the celebrations event.

Boats depart from 5.15pm with earlier arrivals being first to exit after the event. The fireworks display will take place at approx 10pm. Return boats from the island begin at 10.30pm and leave every 10 minutes (first in / first out, check ticket time for return boat) with the last return boat at 11.45pm approx.

Event Fireworks

Spike Island Independence Day Celebrations – 2022

Post author By granitewordpress
Post date July 17, 2022
No Comments on Spike Island Independence Day Celebrations – 2022

Celebrating Independence day, 2022!

On July 17th 2022 a fireworks display will light up Spike Island and Cork Harbour, as we celebrate our Independence day on the island. It was July 11th 1938 that Spike Island was eventually handed from British to Irish control, a huge seventeen years after Irish Independence. The islands fort and strategic setting were considered so important by the British, they insisted on keeping the location as part of the Cork Harbour forts, and other treaty ports in Berehaven and Lough Swilly. It took seventeen years and fierce negotiation during a trade war between Ireland and Britain to secure Spike Island’s return in 1938, just in time to save the remote outpost from German bombers and certain destruction.

Fireworks, festivities and family fun.

Spike Island celebrates the momentous occasion of the handover from Britain to Ireland with a special night of entertainment. You can hop on the ferry for the short 12 minute ferry crossing, where a guide will meet you to take you on a special history tour. We share the rich story of the handover in detail, and our incredible 1300 years of Irish history.

Visitors can then enjoy our several museums and exhibitions, and enjoy scenic walks around our beautiful natural island. In the fort see the 1850’s punishment block, the modern prison cells, our Cork Harbour interactive space, the Independence exhibition and more.

Discover on the outer island the abandoned village, the convict cemetery, the old beautiful beaches with harbour town views and amazing nature and wildlife.

On this special night, you can enjoy performances by various musicians in pop up locations, face painting for kids, additional guided elements and of course the amazing fireworks display at the end. Over 1300 fireworks will light the sky, a tribute to the each of the 1300 convicts who never left the confines of our harsh Victorian and Modern prisons.

Learn more – 1938 handover.

Learn more about this momentous event here – https://www.spikeislandcork.ie/independence-day-1938/
Book tickets to this amazing event here – https://spikeislandcork.digitickets.co.uk/category/41662