USS Holland Sails into American Naval Logs!

In 1841, a little fellow named John Philip Holland was born in Ireland. He grew up in Liscannor, County Clare where his family was of Coastguard stock, and his father, John Sr. was in service to the British Coastguard Service.

Holland grew up and began to have amazing ideas to create a ship that would go backward and forward and up and down under the water! While working as a teacher in Cork, he read about the famous battle between the Monitor and Merrimack occurring at the time of the American Civil War. He began working seriously on a design for a fully functional underwater vessel.

In 1873 he came to America and continued exploring the idea of a ship that would hold under the pressure of the weight of water over and around it and propel itself and carry men and armaments into warfare.

At one time, the Fenians, an organization to establish the free Irish Republic, funded Holland's design and first structure called the Fenian Ram.

Unfortunately, the partnership did not solidify and ended up dissolving.

(Fenian Ram, can be seen at the Paterson Museum, New Jersey)

However, this did not discourage Holland, and he worked steadily to continue upgrading his design until by 1897 he had a vessel that was able to travel far distances under water for sometime working with both electric and gasoline motors. This vessel was purchased by the U.S. Navy in 1900 and dubbed the USS Holland!

Not only did the United States Navy grasp the new design but the Royal Navy and Imperial Japanese Navy.

Another of the many creative and ingenuous paths of an Irish immigrant with great persistence for American limitless horizons!

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To read more of the story of the story of Annie Moore, read "St. Patrick's Secrets, 101 Little-Known Truths and Tales of Ireland" by Helen Walsh Folsom.

With the aid of my daughter, Bettse Folsom, we are responding to a series of answer & questions & snippets about Ireland that many people have asked me during events where I have attended. If you have a question, please contact me by email and I will be happy to address it.

Thank you for reading my blog!