By now, you’ve probably heard the story about St Patricks and snakes in Ireland. As Irish folklore has it, Saint Patrick once stood on a hilltop (Croagh Patrick) and banished all the snakes from Ireland with his wooden staff. The truth is, there have never been any snakes on the island nation.
It was said that the recounted tale of “banishing the snakes from Ireland” was simply a metaphor for spreading Christianity throughout the land and ridding the nation of paganism.
In fact, 200 years after Patrick’s evangelizing, all of Ireland was Christianized. Even though this story was a myth, there are other true tales that we do know about the life of Ireland’s patron saint.
After Saint Patrick was stolen from his home, he was transported to Ireland, where he spent six years working for a shepherd. The details of St Patrick’s captivity are unclear. Some say he was taken to Mount Slemish of County Antrim, but others believe he was held prisoner in County Mayo of Killala.
Regardless, it is known that the young man lived a lonely life — outdoors and away from people. He turned to religion for solace, but it wasn’t until his escape that he had a vision that religion would become more than just a coping mechanism — but rather, his life’s purpose.
He became a model Christian for others to emulate. Even though he was not perfect, he loved the Lord and spread His word. For this reason, Ireland celebrates this instrument of God with a feast day every year.
While there is some dispute as to St. Patrick’s date of death, it is most widely believed to be on March 17th, in or around 460 A.D. Patrick is said to be buried at Down Cathedral in Downpatrick (County Down), along with St. Brigid and St. Columba — the other two patron saints of Ireland.
Of course, no one has exhumed the bodies to validate this claim. Today visitors to Ireland can see the Saint Patrick Visitor Centre in Downpatrick, which features interactive displays on the story of St Patrick.
To read more The Life Of Saint Patrick
