St. Patrick’s day, March 17th, is usually celebrated by wearing green and drinking large amounts of Guinness beer. St. Patrick is known as the patron saint of Ireland who drove all the snakes off the island. But just who was the real St. Patrick and how did he get those snakes to leave?
The real St. Patrick wasn’t even Irish. He was born somewhere in Scotland or Wales between 385 and 390 AD. His name was Patricius Magonus Sucatus. When he was in his teens, he was captured by Irish raiders and taken to Ireland to become a slave. He herded sheep for six years somewhere in the Northern part of the island. Then he had a dream that predicted he would return home.
So Patrick ran away and made his way 200 miles (320 km) to the coast where he was able to get passage on a ship to Gaul, France. He studied at a monastery, likely in Lerins, for several years and then at some point returned home. He was ordained in 417 AD.
Then he had another dream in which the people of Ireland begged him to “save” them. In about 432 AD he was sent to Ireland to convert the Irish. He established the Catholic Church on the island and traveled extensively preaching the word of the Lord, converting the pagans to Christianity and recruiting local clergy.
Patrick died in Ireland on March 17th, 461 AD. It is believed he died where he had built his first church, in Saul, on Strangford Lough, Downpatrick. There are allegedly St. Patrick relics all over Ireland and Europe but what is left of him is supposed to buried in Downpatrick, in Northern Ireland.
About those snakes, since Ireland never actually did have any snakes indigenous to the island, it is unlikely that he drove anye snakes out of Ireland.
The shamrock has become the symbol of St. Patrick based on a folk tale that Patrick used the shamrock to explain the holy trinity to the pagans. Today people wear shamrocks on St. Patrick’s day to represent Ireland’s patron saint.
No trip to Ireland would be complete without a visit to someplace where St. Patrick is said to have traveled. Visit his holy well in Sligo or his final resting place in Downpatrick or any of the other many sites that claim a link to St. Patrick.
Whatever you believe about St. Patrick, March 17th is still a good opportunity to celebrate your Irish ancestors, if you have any, or to celebrate period, if you don’t. In America, there are St. Patrick’s day parades and parties in most major cities that have a large population of Irish descent.
So put on your green sweaters, order up a pint of Guinness and make a toast to St. Patrick and all of Ireland.
http://www.saintpatrickdc.org/ss/0317patr.htm
http://www.entourages.com/barbs/stpatrick.htm
http://wilstar.com/holidays/patrick.htm
http://www.st-patricks-day.com/st_patricks_day_parades_home.ASP
