(note the snakes at his feet--legend has it that he chased them out of Ireland)

(c. 389c. 461)

Patron saint of Ireland, whose feast day, 17 March, has become an international celebration of Irish identity. There is little definite information about him, as the traditional legends are late, untrustworthy, and often contradict his two surviving texts, *The Confession* and *Letter to Coroticus*.

Born in Britain, possibly in western Scotland (or south Wales or southwest England), he was kidnapped by pirates and during six years slavery in County Mayo (not County Antrim, as tradition has it), he embraced his fathers Christian faith. He escaped to Britain, probably entering monastic life there. Ordained as a missionary bishop to Ireland in 432 (probably by the British church), he played a vital part in the conversion of northern and (possibly) western Ireland, but definitely not of the whole island. Patrick's traditional center was Armagh, although some scholars argue that he never lived there.

Fun Facts (sort of): *In The Truth About the Irish* (NY: St. Martins Press, 2000) Terry Eagleton sums up Patrick's drawbacks as patron saint accordingly:

1) We don't really know who he was.
2) We don't really know where he came from.
3) He wasn't the first Christian missionary to Ireland.
4) There may have been two of him.
5) He may not have existed at all.