Yes, Virginia…There Was A Saint Patrick…But He Wasn’t Irish!

by Kat Behling

	Saint Patrick

Sorry, but according to some sources, it’s true. St. Patrick was actually born in Wales around 385 AD. His father is believed to have been a wealthy Italian who served as an official for the Roman government – his mother is assumed to be Welsh. His real name was “Maewyn” but he called himself “Patricius” which translates in Latin to “well-born.” After being kidnapped by a band of Irish pirates at age 16, young Patrick was sold into slavery where he worked as a shepherd. During his six years of lonely confinement, he turned to religion for peace and solace. Later, after having escaped, he fled to Europe where he decided to devote the remainder of his life to God. It was as a monk that Patrick had a vision to return to Ireland and convert the pagans there to Christianity.

Patrick began work as a missionary revivalist in the 5th century, intending not to eliminate old Irish rituals, but to blend them with Christian customs. He and his contemporaries founded churches and monasteries that became the cornerstones of Christian art and refinement. He became a high-ranking Christian clergyman, known as the “Apostle of Ireland.” Patrick's legendary use of the shamrock as an explanation of the Trinity led to the tiny clover becoming symbolic with Ireland.

Beyond the Blarney…and other little-known St. Patrick’s Day Facts

• Shamrocks are considered to be a symbol of good luck. Although there are various plants resembling the shamrock, the hop clover is widely accepted as the original shamrock picked by St. Patrick. The name shamrock comes from the Irish “seamrog” which means “little clover.”
• “Leprechauns” (old Irish for “small bodies”) are not cute little sprites, but mean-spirited little creatures believed to know where gold is hidden. It is said the leprechaun keeps his pot o’ gold at the end of a rainbow and will do anything to keep you away from that pot! (Liam, our oversized leprechaun may disagree!)
• In the United States, people celebrate St. Patrick’s Day by dressing in head to toe green in order to avoid the pinch of the leprechaun. In Ireland, however, wearing too much green is considered to bring bad luck.
• St. Patrick did not actually drive snakes out of Ireland. In fact, snakes have NEVER been native to the Emerald Isle! Some believe the snakes are actually a metaphor for the pagans he converted to Christianity.
• “When Irish Eyes are Smiling” is not an authentic Irish ballad – it was actually composed by an American.
• The national symbol of Ireland is the Celtic harp – not the shamrock.
• The St. Patrick’s Day parade in New York City goes back almost 300 years, while the parade in Dublin goes back a scant 50. The American version of the holiday got its start in 1737 in Boston.
• Corned beef and cabbage is not a typical St. Patrick’s Day dish in Ireland, it’s an American dish that most likely began by immigrants in an attempt to recreate a meal that reminded them of their homeland. The Irish prefer colcannon (mashed potato, shredded kale, minced onion and melted butter) and bacon or ham.
• As recent as the 1970’s, Irish law mandated that pubs be closed on St. Patrick’s Day. Today, the holiday is highly-promoted by Tourism Ireland.
• The shamrock was considered a sacred plant in ancient Ireland and symbolized the rebirth of spring. St. Patrick’s Day is also considered the middle of spring in Ireland and a time for farmers to plant their potato crops.
• According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 34 million United States residents claim Irish ancestry – nearly TEN times the entire population of Ireland and second only to the number of German-Americans.
• Beware the color green: St. Patrick’s Day can induce a rare phobia in certain individuals called Chromatophobia – the fear of the color green.
• At a meeting of the American Heart Association in 2004, researchers reported that Guinness may be as effective as daily aspirin in reducing blood clots that can cause heart attacks. The benefit comes from the antioxidants contained in the stout which is said to reduce cholesterol deposits.