Folklore Friday: John Philip Holland

Old Drogheda Society

Fokelore Friday

From The Drogheda Museum Millmount

John Philip Holland, the inventor of the submarine, was born in Liscannor, Co. Clare on the 24th February 1841.

He was the son of a British Coastguard member and as a result had an interest in engineering and the ocean. 

He joined the Christian Brothers in Limerick and later taught at a number of Christian Brother Schools around Ireland, including Drogheda, where he taught mathematics and music. The old Christian Brothers school in Drogheda is now occupied by Scholars Townhouse Hotel.

During his time with the Christian Brothers he retained his interest in engineering and developed an idea for an underwater vessel capable of attacking ships.

In 1875 he submitted his designs to the U.S. Navy but was turned down. The Fenians, however, funded Holland’s work and in 1881, the “Fenian Ram” was launched. The Fenian Ram is now on display at the Paterson Museum in New Jersey, U.S.

Holland and the Fenians parted company over the issue of payment and Holland continued to work on his designs privately.

He launched a new prototype submarine in May, 1897. A company called “The Electric Boat Company” was founded in 1899 and the prototype plus six more submarines were purchased by the U.S. Navy in 1900. Holland’s design was also adopted by the British Navy and adapted by the Japanese Navy.

John Philip Holland died on 12 August 1914 in Newark, New Jersey, aged 73.

A monument, dedicated to Holland and his work, now stands at the gates of Scholars Townhouse.

Drogheda Museum Millmount,
History, Archaeology& Heritage,
Governor's House,
Millmount,
Drogheda,
Co. Louth,
Ireland, 0419833097

Folklore Friday 1 Ghost Stories

Old Drogheda Society

From Drogheda Museum Millmount

Folklore Friday 1 Ghost Stories

Continuing our Halloween Countdown, we share with you this great scary story by Jack Kinahan of Dromiskin, Co. Louth.

Playing Cards with the Devil

Here is a ghost story that occurred in this parish (Dromiskin, Co. Louth) some number of years ago.

The late John Toole of Dromiskin was one night coming home from playing cards.

On his way home he had to pass through a thicket. When he entered the wood he saw, behind a big tree, a man seated at a table. As he approached him, he arose from his seat, and asked John to have a game of cards.

“Certainly” said John, and immediately they began to play.

In the middle of a game, John let a card fall. As he bent to pick it up, he noticed that the man had cloven feet.

John had two vicious dogs at home, and each time he would win a game afterwards he would let a whistle for the dogs.

The man noticing him whistle often asked, “Why do you whistle so often?”, “Just because I am in a good mood”, said John.

Time wore on, and at length the dogs came. John arose and said, “Put him away”.

The dogs leaped at the man and instantly, man, table, cards, and chairs, went away in a blaze of fire.

The following morning John arose and found his two dogs lying dead.

(Sources: The School’s Folklore Collection 1937-39)

Drogheda Museum Millmount,

History, Archaeology & Heritage, 

Governor's House,

Millmount,

Drogheda,

Co. Louth, Ireland,

0419833097

Folklore Friday

Old Drogheda Society

 

Folklore Friday - Folklore includes traditional beliefs, customs, sayings and stories of a community preserved by its people and passed down the generations by word of mouth.

 

In the past in Ireland the period up to Lent was the traditional 'Marrying Season' but what if you were still single after Shrove Tuesday? It seems the difficulties of being single today were nothing compared to in the past. The long established tradition was that Catholics were not allowed to marry during Lent, so they had to wait until after Easter.

 

The first Sunday after Shrove Tuesday, was known as 'Chalk Sunday'. This was when single people were marked with chalk as a way of teasing them for not yet being wed. The unmarried had an 'X' drawn on their back in chalk, usually as they entered the church in their best Sunday gear for everyone to see. Afterwards of course the 'chalk markers' ran for their lives, laughing and singing after getting up to their devilment.

'Salt Monday' was the Monday after the beginning of Lent and in the past you would have been sprinkled with salt if you were single today. The reason salt was sprinkled on bachelors and spinsters was to 'preserve them' until the next shrove Tuesday.

Nowadays we have 'internet dating' and 'speed dating' but in times past you would have been showered with salt and branded for still being single. Let's spare a thought for our ancestors!

This piece is reproduced from our Facebook page.
 

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Folklore is culturally important


Old Drogheda Society - History, Archaeology & Heritage, Millmount, Drogheda, Co. Louth, Ireland. Tel. 041-9833097