T' be shore I've met a leprecorn

God, it's hot! I'm assuming the UK weather is the same as here, not seen any TV news at all you see! Irish tv is rubbish and if we are lucky we may get the full 24 channels that are broadcast. Satellite is a must for Southern Ireland otherwise you may as well forget telly viewing at all. Good job we have plenty of films to watch and of course, there is always the standby of Cribbage.

Looking out of the window by 8.30am we were amazed at the sight that greeted us.

Royal Princess full of Americans. Must have been 40 coaches that arrived to take them on their excursions.

 Off we went to Spike Island this morning. A fascinating place which housed many a jailbird from 1800. So a very brief history first:-
Initially, the island was monastic but in 1789 a man named Charles Vallancey persuaded the Lord Lieutenant John Fame to allow construction of a permanent fortification. In later use and one probably best known for being a little Alcatraz, was the holding of prisoners and convicts ready for deportation to Australia. It remained a prison right up to 2004 and many of the IRA prisoners were also kept on the island. Also being a Treaty Port, and held by the British until 1938, it was then handed over to the Irish government. Afterwards, it was used by the Irish Army until 1979 and then by the Naval Service until 1985. Wiki has more on this subject and I did take some of the text from this site.

Building to the left looks new but is actually the oldest building on the island as it was built as a church. Building on the right housed some of the prisoners.

An archaeological dig was taking place at the prisoner's graveyard.

My very own Leprecorn!

prison couryard. Houses bottom R was the warden's accommodation.

Exercise yard.

Cork Harbour is a natural horseshoe shape and this one of two 6" guns were aimed toward the entrance

Solitary confinement cells and corridors leading up to it.

Prisoners kept like this in the transport ships.

With only 3 hours on the island we had to rush the last few bits. So much to see and do and we never did get down to see the village, now unoccupied.

Back on the mainland and the tide had dropped considerably. Very wet steps under the pier were the only way back up.

Back at the Beast, we headed off toward Blarney. We found another Brit stop at the pub Waterloo Inn. Very strange place as it doesn't appear open. There has also been a steady stream of cars, vans motorbikes coming and going. All seems a bit dodgy to me. Even the Garda (Police) pulled in and then turned around. Hmm, I hope we haven't done the wrong thing by staying. The only saving grace is we are not alone. Another motorhome pulled in not long after us.

It's Blarney castle on the agenda tomorrow. Opens at 9am and very glad it wasn't today we had planned to go. Most of those coaches waiting at the cruise liner took those Americans there.