Fenian Ram is a submarine designed by John Philip Holland for use by the Fenian Brotherhood, the American counterpart to the Irish Republican Brotherhood, against the British. The Fenian Ram was the world’s first practical submarine. It was powered by a double acting Brayton Ready Motor which used kerosene fuel. It was able to dive & submerge successfully. The Ram's construction and launching in 1881 by the Delamater Iron Company in New York was funded by the Fenians' Skirmishing Fund. Officially Holland Boat No. II, the role of the Fenians in its funding led the New York Sun newspaper to name the vessel the Fenian Ram.
Fenian Ram at the Clason Point Military Academy, Bronx, NY, some time between 1916 and 1927
The submarine on display at the Paterson Museum, New Jersey (2016)
Image: John Holland Fenian Ram
Image: Operator seat inside the Fenian Ram
John Philip Holland was an Irish engineer who developed the first submarine to be formally commissioned by the US Navy, and the first Royal Navy submarine, Holland 1.
John Philip Holland
Holland stands in the hatch of a submarine