James Cox
Spike Island Cork is looking forward to giving domestic visitors a memorable day out, and an 'escape from the mainland', with its reopening from May 31st.
Visitors can enjoy the short boat trip, tours, over a dozen museums and scenic Island walking trails.
The cafe will be open for takeaway service until indoor dining resumes.
The Cork County Council site is set to reopen after its closure due to Covid-19 restrictions.
The island attraction was opened as a visitor attraction in 2016 and has enjoyed four successful years, growing its visitors from 27,000 in year one to 81,000 in 2019.
Spike Island will reopen for visitors from May 31st.
Island manger John Crotty said: “We are delighted that we are able to reopen and offer our Irish visitors an escape from the mainland, in what has been a difficult time. It has been another difficult year for Irish tourism sites, as well as the towns they operate in. It is important for our departure town of Cobh that there are reasons to visit, so we will work hard to deliver safe and exceptional tours during this time.”
The island had been hoping for increased international visitors, particularly from American visitors, as the site is showing on two Discovery channel programmes there.
However, international visitors are expected to be negligible this year.
Mr Crotty said: “It will be a disappointment not to continue our growth in international visitors, as they bring a high spend into an area, with bed nights, local food, retail and transport spend, which ultimately means more jobs.”
“This is now very much a reset year for Irish tourism, and we have to ensure we are ready and place ourselves in the mind of international travellers keen to travel again from 2021 on,” he added.
Visitors will still be able to enjoy the island's 104 acres of nature and wildlife, scenic island walking trails, over a dozen separate museums and exhibitions and children’s areas.
The island includes 104 acres of nature and wildlife.
The cafe and gift shop will also be open daily, and visitors are invited to 'bring or buy a picnic, to enjoy one of the several picnic sites, with stunning views of Cobh and Cork harbour'.
There is also a new exhibition on the island for 2021 — ‘Imprisoning a Nation’ will tell the story of the 1921 Republican prisoners held on the island, in their own words, in the centenary year.
