St. Patrick of Ireland - Did You Know?
Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland wasn't actually Irish, he was born around 373 A.D. in either Scotland, near the town of Dumbarton, or in Roman Britain.
Little is known about St. Patrick, including his birth and death dates. March 17 is traditionally considered to be one of the two, although there is no documentation to corroborate this.
As a teen, Patrick was enslaved in Ireland and he returned there later in life as a missionary.
There were never any snakes -- or other reptiles for that matter -- in Ireland for St. Patrick to chase out
St. Patrick predates the Roman Catholic Church, and was considered a "saint'' before the Roman church created its list of saints and included him in it.
Patrick's real name is believed to be Maewyn Succat. He adopted the name Patrick, or Patricus, after he became a priest.
Patrick was kidnapped by pirates at the age of 16 and sold into slavery in Ireland. During the 6 years he spent in captivity, he began to have religious visions, and found strength in his faith. He finally escaped and went to France, where he became a priest and later a bishop.
Legend has it that Saint Patrick drove all the snakes out of Ireland -- that they all went into the sea and drowned. We know this isn't technically true. The basis of this legend probably lies in the origin of the snake as a pagan symbol. The legend tells the figurative tale of St. Patrick's driving paganism out of Ireland.
The phrase "Erin Go Braugh" means Ireland Forever.
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