Category: Event

Save the Date: Spike Island Literary Festival 2024

We are thrilled to announce the much-anticipated return of the Spike Island Literary Festival for its third year, taking place from Friday 23rd to Sunday 25th August 2024. Mark your calendars for a weekend immersed in the world of crime writing, set against the backdrop of Spike Island’s unique and storied past.

Spike Island, with its dark history of four prisons over 400 years, provides the perfect setting for literary enthusiasts to gather, explore, and be inspired. Whether you’re a book lover or a budding writer, this festival offers something for everyone.

What to Expect:
● Author-Led Panel Discussions: Engage with your favourite crime writers and delve into the minds behind the books. Discover what inspires their gripping tales and learn about their creative processes.
● Readings from World-Class Writers: Experience the thrill of hearing renowned authors recite their most famous works in the island’s unique locations, enhancing the chilling ambiance of their stories.
● Pathways to Publishing: Take your first steps towards becoming a published author. Meet with a renowned literary agent and get invaluable insights into the publishing industry.

Full Programme Details and Tickets
Stay tuned for the full programme details, which will be released very soon. Tickets will also be on sale shortly, so make sure to secure your spot at this must-attend event for literary enthusiasts.
Join us for a weekend of literary exploration and inspiration at the Spike Island Literary Festival 2024.
For updates and more information, keep an eye on our website and social media channels.

25 AUGUST | SUNDAY

Silent Witness – Sinéad Crowley, Andrea Carter & Gill Perdue moderated by Amy Jordan

Price per ticket: €26.95
Boat in: 12:30 pm – Return: 5 pm

Silent Witness, a compelling panel event, will see acclaimed authors Sinéad Crowley, Andrea Carter and Gill Perdue discuss the intricacies of their craft, exploring themes of suspense, crime and the human psyche. Moderated by Amy Jordan, this event promises to offer unique perspectives and fascinating discussions from some of the genre’s most talented writers. Delve into the minds of these brilliant writers as they explore the nuances of crafting suspense and the intricacies of their mysterious characters.

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The Ten-Minute Hook – Michelle Teahan, Alice Bell, Tadhg Coakley & John Crotty moderated by Catherine Kirwan

Prior to the main panel event, Catherine Kirwan will be joined by authors Michelle Teahan, Alice Bell, Tadhg Coakley and John Crotty for The Ten Minute Hook. The first ten pages of a novel are the most important of the story and here, each author will discuss the art of intrigue and how they capture the reader’s attention in those all important ten minutes.

Book Now

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Alice Bell

Though Alice Bell grew up in the South West of England, she now lives in Cobh where, in addition to novel writing, she also works as deputy editor of Rock Paper Shotgun, a popular and respected PC Gaming website. In 2019 she was named one of the 100 most influential women in the UK games industry. Her debut novel, Grave Expectations was published in May 2023 followed by Displeasure Island in May 2024.

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Andrea Carter

Andrea Carter is the author of The Inishowen Mysteries. She graduated in Law from Trinity College, Dublin, before qualifying as a solicitor and moving to the Inishowen peninsula in Co. Donegal. Having practised law for nearly twenty years, more recently as a barrister, she now writes full time. Her six books are in development for television and her short story The Lamb was shortlisted for the Irish Book Awards in 2019. Death Writes is her sixth novel. The Sunday Times has said ‘Carter excels in re-creating the cloistered, gossipy confines of a small Irish village…the Inishowen peninsula community where everybody knows everybody else’s business is a fine stand-in for the mannered drawing-room society of a Christie mystery.’

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Tadhg Coakley

Tadhg Coakley is from Mallow and lives in Cork city. His debut novel The First Sunday in September (2018) was shortlisted for the Mercier Press Fiction prize. Whatever It Takes was chosen as the 2020 Cork, One City One Book. Everything (a sports autobiography, which he co-wrote with its subject, Denis Coughlan) was picked as one of the 2020 sports books of the year in The Sunday Times, The Irish Examiner and The Irish Times. The Game: A Journey into the Heart of Sport (2022) was described by Donal Ryan as a ‘towering work’. His latest thriller Dark Streets is out in June 24. Tadhg’s short stories, articles and essays have been widely published.

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John Crotty

John Crotty is author of non-fiction work ‘Spike Island’ and a graduate of Swansea University. Hailing from Cappoquin, County Waterford, John grew up steeped in the storytelling of the Deise. ‘I look back now and see a strong storytelling tradition. The TV was rarely on, just for the Late Late Show, G.A.A. and the Angelus. Evenings were spent by the fire. The silence was punctured by splintering turf and coal, the ticking of a clock. The banshee, Petticoat Loose, they were regular visitors’. John has travelled over 60 countries and many world wonders with further titles on Irish history commenced.

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Sinéad Crowley

Sinéad Crowley is the best selling author of the DS Claire Boyle series of crime novels, all three of which were nominated for Irish Book Awards. Her most recent novel, the historical mystery The Belladonna Maze was an Irish Times bestseller and her next book, another historical mystery entitled ‘A Maid on Fifth Avenue’ will be published by Aria in September 2024. Sinéad worked as a journalist for over three decades and was for sixteen year the Arts and Media correspondent with the Irish national broadcaster RTE. In 2023 she left journalism and now works as Director of Media Development with the Irish media regulator, Coimisiún na Meán.

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Amy Jordan

Amy Jordan lives by the sea with her husband and young children in Cork, Ireland. Her police procedural thriller, The Dark Hours, will be published with HQ HarperCollins UK, Mira HarperCollins US, and Piper Verlag in early 2025. Previously writing as Amy Cronin, she released three thrillers with Irish publisher Poolbeg Press. Amy is a former civil servant and tutor at MTU, who now writes full time.

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Catherine Kirwan

Catherine Kirwan grew up on a farm in the parish of Fews, County Waterford. She studied law at UCC and lives in Cork where she works as a solicitor. Her first novel, Darkest Truth, was chosen as Cork’s One City One Book by Cork City Libraries in 2019. Her second book, Cruel Deeds, and her third, ‘A Lesson in Malice’, a murder mystery set in UCC, are both out now.

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Gill Perdue

Gill Perdue is the author of bestselling Shaw and Darmody crime series. If I Tell (previously published as The Interview) was nominated for Crime Novel of the Year in the An Post Book Awards 2022. When They See Me published in June 2023 to rave reviews. It’s described as ‘a thrilling read,’ (The Independent) She also writes for children. Her first children’s novel, Adam’s Starling, won a Bisto Award (the Eilís Dillon Memorial) for that year. A third Shaw and Darmody is to be published by Penguin in 2025, and a standalone thriller in 2026.

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Michelle Teahan

Michelle Teahan is a qualified Medical Scientist but her passion has always been writing stories. She loves creating strong female characters, putting them in the worst types of situations and seeing how they react. She lives in County Cork, Ireland with her husband, two young daughters and a giant ginger cat. Her debut novel Go Seek has been long listed for the John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger and her second novel Knock Knock is out June 2024.

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At Spike Island, we’re celebrating our 86th birthday this year with our annual Family Fun Evening and Fireworks Display, commemorating the historic handover of Spike Island 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 13th July.

At this special Independence Day celebration, visitors will enjoy captivating entertainment and an abundance of family-friendly activities while immersing themselves in the island’s rich history.
Attendees can look forward to pop-up musical performances, face painters, and much more, ensuring a truly memorable experience for guests of all ages.
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, musical performances, face painters and more.

As the night unfolds, the highlight of the event will be a spectacular fireworks display over Cork Harbour. A total of 1300 fireworks will illuminate the sky, symbolising the inmates who tragically lost their lives during Spike Island’s history as a prison in what promises to be a special tribute and a poignant reminder of the island’s past.

To facilitate the smooth flow of the event, boats will begin departing from 5.15pm. Early arrivals will have ample time to enjoy the island’s attractions and will also be among the first to depart the island after the event concludes. Return boats will commence at 10.30pm, departing every 10 minutes.
Visitors are advised to check their ticket times for the return boat, with the last departure scheduled for approximately 11.45pm.
Attendance for this special celebration is expected to be high, and therefore, advance online booking is essential.

This event is now SOLD OUT

To mark the 220th anniversary of the laying of the foundation stone for Fort Westmoreland, Spike Island is hosting an exhibition entitled ‘Entwined History: Revealing Spike Island’s Forts’.

The new exhibition features the architectural plans from The National Archives that depict the construction and fortification of the fortress. Fort Westmoreland (now known as Fort Mitchel) stands as the third and final fortification constructed on the island.

The plans on display show the path from concept to reality as architects, engineers, craftsmen and masons worked together to create a fortress ready to withstand any attack.

Panels explaining the historical events that took place between 1776-1815 and Spike Island’s startegic importance during this period are also part of this exhibition.

We feature General Charles Vallancey, a man behind the design of Fort Westmoreland I.  The first edition of his book, ‘A Vindication of the Ancient History of Ireland’ published in 1786 is on display along with other artefacts related to the early stages of the fort and the Royal Artillery.

It’s worth noting that the only known photograph depicting convicts labouring during the constuction of the bastions at Spike Island, can be seen for the first time.

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Exhibition date: June—September 2024
Location: Mitchel Hall, Spike Island