Saint Patrick: When the True Story is More Exciting than the Legend

The 17^th March marks Saint Patrick’s Day, or the Feast of Saint Patrick, a cultural and religious holiday celebrated every year in Ireland and by Irish communities around the world.  The celebration marks the anniversary of Saint Patrick’s death in the fifth century and represents the arrival of Christianity in the country. The Irish have observed this day as a holiday for over 1,000 years, and while the festival began as a religious feast day for the patron saint of Ireland, today it has become an international celebration of Irish culture.

The Legendary St Patrick

In the 1,600 years since Saint Patrick preached his way across the Emerald Isle, the legends and folk stories surrounding his life have become ever more ingrained in the Irish culture. He is credited with expelling all snakes from Ireland and using a shamrock – a three-leaf clover – to explain the Holy Trinity to the Pagan Irish. Stories of expelling demons and engaging in duels with the powerful Druids have been passed down over generations, but in many ways, the true facts of Patrick’s life are even more dramatic than the tales.