I’ve never been to Irelend, but I do enjoy celebrating St. Patty’s day! It’s easy to forget about the United Kingdom’s neighbor and long-time rival, but Ireland has played numerous important roles in history. For one, it’s a hotbed of innovation, creativity, and invention. Check out this inspirational infographic.
For example, did you know that the Irish invented the submarine? No joke in 1878, inventor John Phillip Holland launched the Holland 1, a fourteen foot submersible submarine. Weighing in at over two tons, the submarine successfully dived 12 feet under water!
And that’s not the only piece of military equipment that the Irish invented. They also invented the tank in 1911, which has become an instrumental part of any modern military. While the world would be a better place without war, tanks would prove vital for freeing Europe from the Third Reich only a few decades later.
When is the last time you looked at a color photograph? Color photography is another Irish invention, invented by John Jolly, who himself was sort of Irish Thomas Edison. Not only did Jolly invent color photography, but he also invented radiotherapy for treating cancer patients!
And then there’s this gem of quote:
Chemistry may have been the most boring subject you studied in school and you have an Irishman to thank for that.
So thanks Robert Boyle for inventing chemistry! You ruined more than a few of my Friday nights in college!
And of course, there’s my favorite Irish invention of all, the Guinness Stout! After a long week nothing beats a draft Guinness which was invented in 1759!
