Liscannor, County Clare, Ireland seems like an unlikely place for the start of a fundamental change in naval warfare. This sleepy little village on the rugged western shore of central Ireland overlooks the placid Liscannor Bay. The narrow streets are lined with picturesque cottages, separated from the streets by "dry" (i.e. mortarless) stone fences made of flat granite and limestone plates. The village is surrounded by the rolling green hills of Ireland, interspersed with terraced farm fields.
Image courtesy of Google MapsOn a cold and windy February 24, 1841, John Philip Holland was born to parents John Sr. and Mary Scanlan Holland in a small coastguard cottage on Castle Street. He was the 2nd of what was to be four siblings, all boys. John Sr. eked out a modest living as a member of the Royal Coastguard Service, but by nature was not a seaman. County Clare was a traditional Irish village, with English spoken only as an aside.
