01272 - Spike Island - Westmoreland Fort (Fort Mitchell)

Research metadata

RPS Ref. No.: 01272
Overall identification confidence: High
Vacancy / dereliction status at a glance: Fort Mitchel / Westmoreland Fort is in active heritage-tourism use and operated under Cork County Council ownership; it is not listed on Cork County Council’s Derelict Sites Register as updated 22/07/2026. [1][2]

Quick facts

Address / Eircode	Fort Mitchel / Westmoreland Fort, Spike Island, Cobh, Co. Cork. Public visitor address for Spike Island is Kennedy Pier, Cobh, Co. Cork, P24 E446. [1]
Building type	Star-shaped coastal military fortress; later convict prison, army base, detention barracks and heritage visitor attraction. [3]
Period / date	The “new” Fort Westmoreland began in 1804; the fort was incomplete by 1820, converted into a convict prison in 1847, and completed in the 1860s. [3]
Heritage refs (RPS / NIAH)	RPS 01272 — Westmoreland Fort (Fort Mitchell). NIAH reference not verified in this pass.
Apparent status	In use as a managed cultural / heritage visitor attraction; about 75% of the fort’s buildings are described by Spike Island as complete. [1]
On Derelict Sites Register?	No — not found on Cork County Council Derelict Sites Register, updated 22/07/2026. [2]
On Vacant Sites Register?	Unknown — no verified Cork County vacant-sites register entry found in this pass.
Owner	Cork County Council; Spike Island states the island is operated by a not-for-profit company under the direction of owners Cork County Council. [1]

Summary

Westmoreland Fort, now Fort Mitchel, is the dominant 24-acre star-shaped fortress on Spike Island, built as a strategic Cork Harbour defence and later adapted for penal, military and visitor-attraction uses. (High) It is not currently evidenced as vacant or derelict: Spike Island describes the fort as open to visitors with museums, prison cells, café, shops and restored buildings, while Cork County Council’s derelict-sites list does not include the site. [1][2]

Identification

Address: Fort Mitchel / Westmoreland Fort, Spike Island, Cobh, Co. Cork. (High) [1]
Eircode: P24 E446 is given by Spike Island for its public location at Kennedy Pier, Cobh; a distinct fort-only Eircode was not verified. (Medium) [1]
Building type(s): Military fortress; coastal artillery / harbour-defence fort; prison complex; cultural / heritage visitor attraction. (High) [3]
Approx. date of construction / period: Work on the “new” Fort Westmoreland began in 1804; main walls, bastions and some accommodation blocks were complete by 1820; the fort was not completed until the 1860s. (High) [3]
Architect / builder: The 1789 second fort was designed by Colonel Charles Vallancey; the 1804 “new” fort was begun under Lieutenant Colonel Sir Charles Holloway after recommendations by General John Hope and Lieutenant General David Dundas. (High) [3]