Patrick is said to have originated from England, came to Ireland as a slave and was the first writer in history to pen eye-witness accounts condemning slavery.

There are many legends and stories associated with St. Patrick. The legend goes that during his wanderings through Ireland he came to Dublin - no more than a village at that time, poor and mean. Before entering the village, he climbed a hill, gazed out over the landscape and said, "One day, this little village will flourish as a great, important city, growing ever wealthier, and one day it will house the seat of the kingdom."

In 1776, during the American War of Independence, St. Patrick's influence is even said to have helped the Americans to victory over the British. General George Washington's army was besieging the city which would later bear his name, and at the time was defended by the British army. Washington chose the password "St. Patrick" as a mark of respect to the many Irish in his ranks. And so it happened that on March 17th, the feast-day of St. Patrick, the British surrendered - without a struggle. As they left the city, an American band struck up the lively melody "St. Patrick's Day in the Morning". The tune has been played in Washington on every St. Patrick's Day since that time.

In "The Truth About the Irish " (St. Martin's) Terry Eagleton sums up the story of St. Patrick like this:

"As a patron saint, he has quite a few disadvantages:

  • We don't actually know who he was.
  • We don't actually know where he came from.
  • He was not the first Christian missionary in Ireland.
  • There may have been two of him.
  • He may not have existed at all.

Apart from that, he's a fantastic patron saint."

We couldn't agree more. Long live St. Patrick - however you decide to celebrate him!

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