Ireland and the diaspora · religious
March 17 — the feast of the patron saint of Ireland.
2026: March 17, 2026 · 2027: March 17, 2027
Patrick was not Irish. He was a Romano-Briton, taken to Ireland as a captive as a teenager, who escaped and later returned as a missionary. Two short writings of his survive, including the Confessio, which is one of the earliest first-person accounts to come out of the British Isles. The shamrock story — using its three leaves to explain the Trinity — is traditional rather than documented.
The best-known fact about him, that he drove out the snakes, is not true: post-glacial Ireland never had them. Separating the man from the parade is a good afternoon’s work.
What a family can actually do
Green, obviously. But read one paragraph of the Confessio and notice it is a real person writing.
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