Confession of Saint Patrick

Book Description

The autobiography of one of the most popular saints in history, now available in a new translation.

Beyond being recognized as the patron saint of Ireland (perhaps for having chased some nonexistent snakes off the Emerald Isle), little else is popularly known about Saint Patrick. And yet, Patrick left behind a unique document, his Confession, which tells us much about both his life and his beliefs. This autobiography, originally written in the fifth century, and short by modern standards, is nonetheless a work that fascinates with its glimpse into the life of an intriguing man, and inspires with its testament of faith. Here, in this new edition from internationally acclaimed translator John Skinner, the character of Patrick, his era, and his world vividly come to life.

Also included in this volume is the only other document known to have been written by Patrick, a letter he wrote to the soldiers of Coroticus--also Christians--who had raided parts of Ireland and taken away prisoners who were then sold into slavery. This letter is a wonderful demonstration of Patrick's rhetorical fire. Quite irate, Patrick harangues his fellow Christians, and the results are every bit as autobiographically revealing as the Confession.

John O'Donohue, author of Anam Cara, provides an insightful foreword that re-creates the unique spirituality of Patrick and of the Irish people, and shows how it applies to our lives today.

Customer Reviews:

Confession of St. Patrick.......2007-10-02

The book arrived in a timely manner and was in perfect condition.
As for the content, what can I say? St. Patrick is an inspiring man and these writings enable one to see real person. But at the same time, the writings also show the reason he became a saint. How many people do you know found God after being sold into slavery by Irish pirates?

Confession of St. Patrick.......2007-01-29

If you would love to get a picture of this great man,or you are Catholic like me,and want to learn a few of his writings.I say "read this book". His style is a little old fashon, but he was that. This is a good read ,and a short book check it out.

interesting work -- autobiographical, not autobiography.......2001-09-29

This is a very short book (81 pages long, 111 if you include the prefaces and the frontispiece, big print, easily fitting in your jacket pocket) and includes Patrick's Lorica -- the hymn known as the Deer's Cry or Faeth Fiada as well as The Letter to the Soldiers of Coroticus (basically a public pillory of Coroticus) and St. Patrick's Confession.

If you are interested in buying The Confession because you want a straight-forward account of St. Patrick's life, you should be warned that it will not serve that purpose. If that is what you're looking for, I recommend you buy a biography instead. Given that the literary conventions for autobiographies had yet to be established, this work is much like St. Augustine's Confessions but more laconic and oblique. Apparently, it was written in defense of his character, having been recently defamed by his ecclesiastical competitors in England. As such, I think it would be best approached as an example of St. Patrick's theology. The editor has been very helpful in this regard by noting in the text every instance St. Patrick is quoting from the Bible. I'd estimate, on that basis, that quotes from, allusions to, the Bible account for around 40% of the text. Thus, if you want to understand the work, you probably want to read it with a Bible near so you can follow the thread of St. Patrick's argument/allusion. However, as you might imagine, this adds substantially to the amount of time required to digest the book.

I found A Letter to the Soldiers of Coroticus much more accessible, which makes sense given its intended audience - the faithful of Ireland. It comprises about a fifth of the book and was very interesting to me, at least, as an example of the power of ideas, how they can be used to bind together a community which can then be wielded as a tool, and why, in the competition between the old or pagan meme with the Christian one, the Christian meme more or less prevailed.

"Deer's Cry" is only a few pages long, and not more than nice to have. It clearly illustrates, however, the difficulties John Skinner (the translator) notes of translating these works, namely the loss of the chiastic structure and overall prosody. This is a problem of translation in general, but I would wager that these works are particularly difficult in that regard. I trust the translation is good, but I thought prospective buyers who, like me, are unfamiliar with St. Patrick and his times should be made aware of these difficulties.

With the above in mind, I would recommend this book as an interesting primary source for the thinking, life and times of St. Patrick which, in places, are both beautiful and disturbing.

You'll read it over and over again.......2000-06-15

This charming little book is a great guide for anyone who wants to know the man who is St. Patrick. In this work, O'Donohue doesn't discuss the legends that surround Patrick but translates Patrick's own writings and adds an insightful commentary. The author offers a new examination of Patrick as he suggests that Patrick's hard-to-decipher language is not the result of Patrick's lack of learning, as Patrick and many of his commentators claim, but the result of Patrick's own brilliant mind trying to bring the message of the Gospel to the Celts in their own language. This book will take you directly to the heart of a simple saint who's witness to Christ changed the fate of Ireland and, consequently, the fate of the world.

Jack and the Leprechaun (Pictureback(R))

Average customer rating:

Great book
Cute Story!
A Wonderful Wee Book for St. Patrick's Day.
Jack and the Leprechaun review
Fun for St. Patrick's Day

Jack and the Leprechaun (Pictureback(R))
Ivan Robertson
Manufacturer: Random House Books for Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0375803289
Release Date: 2000-01-25

Book Description

It's St. Patrick's Day, and Jack Mouse is visiting his cousin Sean in Ireland. Sean tells Jack about the myth of leprechauns, and Jack is determined to catch one for himself! Children will delight in learning about Irish folk tales and traditions and the customs of St. Patrick's Day in this brand-new Pictureback®.

Customer Reviews:

Great book.......2007-04-06

My son's name is Liam so he LOVED reading about Liam the Leprechaun. It kept his interest and the illustrations were great. We read this book several times a night for days!

Cute Story!.......2007-03-19

Ivan Robertson writes a delightful yarn about Irish customs and folklore. The story mentions Gaelic, the oldest language in Ireland, the oak club called a shillelagh, and the importance of the three-leaf clover. The 24-page book is recommended for children 3 to 7 years, which I think is appropriate for the age group. The text is easy to read, and doesn't bite off more than it can chew like many works attempt to do.

Jack and the Leprechaun is illustrated in watercolor, which is bright and cheerful and bursting with details. One could literally spend an hour looking at all the fine points painted into the scenes. The only inharmonious feature of the book is Katy Bratun's version of the Irish flag. The Irish flag is green, white, and orange not orange, white, and orange. Most readers won't notice such minutia, but it is curious with all the research required for this work, the illustrator got it wrong. I only spotted it because I have a bit of Irish in me.

My son, William, is currently into leprechauns, and it's no wonder with his beautiful red hair, and traditional name. He's taking a liking to Jack and the Leprechaun I think mostly because Liam is short for William, and everybody knows leprechauns have red hair. Somehow at five, I think it's okay to identify with the fairies even though their fabled creatures. Had I known when I purchased this book that there were so many well-written leprechaun stories, I surely would have settled on another. Although, considering the economical price, it's hard to be critical.

A Wonderful Wee Book for St. Patrick's Day........2006-05-13

There is no excuse for not buying this book if you are looking for a way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day with your child. The paperback is very inexpensive and as such one might think it doesn't have much to offer but it does.

Ivan Robertson managed to write a cute story of a leprechaun while packing a lot of Irish culture and history into this little book. For instance we learn about the date and type of celebration one has in Ireland, what a shillelagh (shaw lay lee) is, what "Cead mile failte" (cade meela fall-cha) expresses, that Gaelic is their oldest language, why shamrocks are important, that green is the national color of Ireland, soda bread is traditional, and "Danny Boy" is a song special to the Country.

Katy Braun's illustrations are fun, festive, and green. This is the best St. Patrick's day book I have found so far for my wee lass.

Jack and the Leprechaun review.......2006-03-31

This is a cute inexpensive St. Patrick's Day book. Jack helps his cousin Sean, but also looks for Liam the Leprechaun. M

Fun for St. Patrick's Day.......2006-03-24

Read this to a first grade class. Lots of sights of how St. Patrick's Day is celebrated in Ireland: parade, special food, a family gathering. The children liked the added feature that it was a mystery to guess what the mice received at the end of the book.

Average customer rating:

Fascinating, though academic
Challenging but rewarding
The Definitive Work On This Fascinating Man

Patrick: The Pilgrim Apostle of Ireland
Maire B. De Paor
Manufacturer: William Morrow
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0060009020
Release Date: 2002-01-22

Amazon.com

In the fifth century, he was brought to Ireland as a slave and eventually became that country's patron saint. In Patrick: The Pilgrim Apostle of Ireland, scholar Máire B. de Paor gathers practically all there is to know about Saint Patrick and offers some ideas about how such a lowly character became such a celebrated one. To contradict the traditional view that Patrick was an unsophisticated, rustic character, de Paor provides close readings of the structure and scriptural allusions of Patrick's writings: the Confessio, similar in many respects to Augustine's Confessions, and the Epistola to Coroticus, the earliest surviving letter containing any record of Irish domestic life. Her analyses suggest that Patrick was a man of great literary ability and ambition. The theme in Patrick's writings that most interests de Paor is "his being an illegal alien on foreign soil, and ... God's fatherly care of him during that pilgrimage for Christ." It is a timeless Irish theme, one that animates all of the best Irish literature and surely underlies many of the most rowdy celebrations of St. Patrick's Day. --Michael Joseph Gross

Book Description

". . . whoever is pleased to look at or receive this writing, which Patrick, a sinner, untaught, to be sure, has composed in Ireland . . . this is my Confession before I die."

Who was St Patrick? In the modern era his name still carries the aura of legend -- yet the truths of his life remain unknown to most readers. Now, in this new work of biographical reconstruction, Máire B. de Paor brings us as close as possible to the man behind the myth. Through a combination of painstaking research and a close reading of Patrick's two surviving works -- the Confessio and the Epistola, their texts included in full in this edition -- de Paor reveals a man at once poet and pilgrim, artist and apostle.

The story of St Patrick, known to many as the patron saint of Ireland, is as complex and mythic as the Irish culture he took as his own. Kidnapped at the age of fifteen, Patrick was smuggled to Ireland in a time of Christian upheaval in Europe. On the rocky coasts of his new home, Patrick adopted the life of a shepherd and the words of his Gaelic companions. At night, however, the Irish hills darkened to reveal the pagan gods and monsters so foreign to Patrick's Christian sensibilities. Patrick prayed for release for six years, only to return to evangelize his pagan captors.

Until recently, the modern consensus was that Patrick was a barely literate rustic struggling with a sense of inadequacy in a language he could not master. In her exhaustively researched biography, Máire B. de Paor uncovers the true Patrick as revealed through his two major literary works. Started as a defense against his accusers, Patrick's writings evolved into something more powerful -- a manifestation of the spirit that had gripped him. Set against a backdrop of the Catholic fervor of the fifth century, Patrick's words also reflect a fascinating time in religious history. As a religious figure, and as a captured slave, Patrick was the living embodiment of the conflict between the civilized Roman Catholics and the "dangerous heathen enemies of the Empire."

A scholar of exceptional depth and insight, de Paor examines Patrick's written legacy with refreshing vigor and passion and discovers an artist of astonishing literary skill and a man of great spiritual depth.

Customer Reviews:

Fascinating, though academic.......2003-05-16

In this fascinating book, Irish religious scholar Maire B. de Paor examines Saint Patrick, patron saint of Ireland. In a scholarly manner, Ms. De Paor goes through Patrick's Confessio and Epistola Excommunicating Coroticus. Each line is examined in detail, producing a breathtaking amount of information about Patrick and his times.

As the above description suggests, this book was written for the scholarly reader, but it is not inaccessible to even the casual reader. Though the text is often exhaustingly academic, what makes this book well worth reading is that it is such an overflowing well of information on Patrick. And, I must say that I enjoyed the author's religious stance, treating Patrick's faith as alive, rather than a historical artifact.

So, if you really want to understand St. Patrick, then I highly recommend that you get this book.

Challenging but rewarding.......2002-04-15

The author has an obvious affection for Patrick, and I doubt you'll finish this wonderful book without growing to like him too. I recommend you read this book out of order: Start with the introduction (36 pages), and then skip to the back to read the author's translation of Patrick's two written works - his "confession" and letter to a roman officer. The rest of the book analyzes these two documents in light of the other facts known about this fifth century great.

The Definitive Work On This Fascinating Man.......2002-03-11

Máire Bríd de Paor, an Irish religious scholar and a Presentation Sister, has simply produced the most compelling work to date on St. Patrick. This is a book which anyone truly interested in the topic must own, and an absolute necessity for any library worth its salt! Its exhaustive yet essential resources include the complete original text (and the best English translation to date) of Patrick's own words in his two surviving works - the Confessio and the Epistola. Through a thoughtful and compelling exposition of these works, de Paor leaves us feeling closer to Patrick, in his lifelong quest to emulate Christ. More than 1,500 years before Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Mohandas Gandhi and Susan B. Anthony, St. Patrick was writing forcefully in favor of the end of slavery and the liberation of women. You'll read this marvelous book, savor it, refer back to it. It involves a bit of work, mind you, but with that investment, you'll be invigorated by the sheer power and energy of this great man, who reaches across the millenia with a message as fresh as when it was penned.

Average customer rating:

Great introduction to the real St Patrick
A "must-read" for anyone who is curious to understand what St. Patrick's Day is really all about

Discovering Saint Patrick
Thomas O'Loughlin
Manufacturer: Paulist Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0809143607

Book Description

The search for the `the real Saint Patrick' has puzzled and intrigued scholars for centuries. How much can we really know about the life and times of Patrick? Why and how was the Patrick myth built up in the seventh century, and what was its influence on the development of Irish Catholicism? This new study takes a new approach to these questions. It begins by looking at what we expect from history; and the very different expectations of those who made Patrick famous, gave value to his writings so that they were preserved, and produced the interest that is still with us. Only when we can distinguish between the problems and perspectives of the hagiographer, on the one hand, and the historian, on the other, can we begin to approach Patrick.

This is superb popular history, rooted in a lifetime of research and study of the original sources, that undermines many of our preconceptions about Patrick and reveals several surprises. It includes new translations of the life of Patrick and Patrick's own writings, as well as an extensive bibliography and resources for further reading.

Part One is a narrative outlining the problems of coming to know Patrick and to outline the earliest evidence for Christianity in Ireland. Part Two is made up of fresh translations of the basic sources for Patrick and his cult.

Customer Reviews:

Great introduction to the real St Patrick.......2005-11-14

The perfect place to start if you want to learn about St. Patrick or early Irish Christianity. O'Loughlin is the best scholar in the world on this subject, but his books are easy to read.

A "must-read" for anyone who is curious to understand what St. Patrick's Day is really all about.......2005-08-14

Written by a theology lecturer at the University of Wales, Lampeter, Discovering Saint Patrick is a religious and biographical study of Saint Patrick, that strives to understand as much as possible about his life, his impact on history, how he influenced the development of Irish Catholicism, and much more. Thoroughly researched, drawing heavily on original sources as well as directly from scripture, Discovering Saint Patrick approaches the life and times of the famous saint with a scholarly eye for detail and as much corroboration and verification as reasonably possible. A welcome contribution to church libraries and biographical collections of holy figures, and a "must-read" for anyone who is curious to understand what St. Patrick's Day is really all about.

Average customer rating:

A Charming Tale!
A wonderful introduction to the real St. Patrick for children!
for catholics only
Informative & Fun!
Learn more about the Patron Saint of Ireland

Patrick: Patron Saint of Ireland
Tomie dePaola
Manufacturer: Holiday House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0823410773

Book Description

The story of Patrick's life, plus well-known legends.

Customer Reviews:

A Charming Tale!.......2006-08-01

This is a very lovely presentation of the life of St. Patrick. I used it for a vacation bible school group of 2nd and 3rd graders. They easily understood the story and really loved the pictures.

A wonderful introduction to the real St. Patrick for children!.......2005-10-31

I have always enjoyed the picture books of Tomie dePaola. His unique illustration style is immediately recognizable and is reminiscent of religious icons found in Catholic and Orthodox churches.

Not surprisingly, dePaola often tackles Christian themes, making them accessible for younger readers and their parents. Among my all-time favorite children's book is his "The Clown of God," which I have enjoyed reading to children prior to Christmas.

"Patrick: Patron Saint of Ireland" is another such book. The simple narrative mainly addresses Patrick's early years as a British boy, captured by the Irish to become a slave shepherd in Ireland. After many years alone in prayer, he escapes, but eventually is called in a dream to return to Ireland to spread the love of God. After religious studies, becoming a missionary and then a bishop, he finally returns to Ireland, setting up churches, but not without opposition from some of the local rulers.

What I appreciate about this version of St. Patrick's story is the dependency on historical fact in the main narrative. The book concludes with six one-page summaries of the better-known legends of Ireland's patron saint, such as driving out the snakes, and his use of the shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity. Refreshingly, these legends are briefly, but affectionately, told without judgment. It is left to the reader (or the parent) to decide what to make of them.

The author concludes with a one-page epilogue, lovingly explaining how he was introduced as a young child to St. Patrick by his Irish Catholic grandparents.

for catholics only.......2005-01-30

This book is fine if you are Catholic, but I was hoping for something more accessible for non-Catholics. For example, the legend of the shamrock is not very meaningful if you are not already acquainted with the trinity or Jesus or the Holy Spirit, etc. This would definitely not be a book to use to teach anything about the Catholic faith to non-Catholic, non-Christian children, which is what I was hoping to use it for.

I like how dePaola has a section at the end for the legends of St. Patrick, separating these from the biography. I was raised an Irish Catholic and I was hoping to be able to share some of that heritage with my own children through this book, but in the end, all of the miracles and mumbo jumbo are too hard to swallow. My daughter was confused about which parts of the story were "real" and which were "for pretend." I think it was a little too much for her to choke down. I had to try to explain to her what baptism is, but she just stared at me blankly.

The illustrations are quite lovely, and I would recommend this book highly for all Catholic school libraries.

Informative & Fun!.......2003-01-13

Growing up in an Irish Catholic family myself, I had heard a great deal about St. Patrick. When we received this book as a gift I started reading it to my children, and they loved it. There were stories even I hadn't heard about St. Pat! As with his St. Francis book, Tomie DePaola's book holds children's interest throughout the many stories while other books of this length lose children. Kids remember the stories and repeat them because they are told so lovingly and in such a fun way! I now bring this book to their school and read it to all their classrooms every St. Patrick's Day to let children know that there is more to Patrick than green beer!

Learn more about the Patron Saint of Ireland.......2002-10-30

A wonderful book by Tomie dePaola filled with helpful information about the true story of St. Patrick's life, as well as fun legends attributed to the patron Saint of Ireland. dePaola's bold illustrations lend to the attraction of the book. He mentions at the end of the book his reasons for writing it and his attraction to Saint Patrick. My own eight year old son has a strong devotion to Saint Patrick and this book is among his favorites. I appreciate the clear differentiation between fact and legend in this book and would highly recommend it for any family.

Average customer rating:

Riveting Information
March 17 is not about Shamrocks and Green Pint - but Liberation
A very ordinary man who accomplished extraordinary things in his lifetime.
A Magical and Poetic Work of Art!!
The Truth about St. Patrick

St. Patrick of Ireland: A Biography
Philip Freeman
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0743256328

Book Description

Ireland's patron saint has long been shrouded in legend: he drove the snakes out of Ireland; he triumphed over Druids and their supernatural powers; he used a shamrock to explain the Christian mystery of the Trinity. But his true story is more fascinating than the myths. We have no surviving image of Patrick, but we do have two remarkable letters that he wrote about himself and his beliefs -- letters that tell us more about the heart and soul of this man than we know about almost any of his contemporaries. In St. Patrick of Ireland Philip Freeman brings the historic Patrick and his world vividly to life.

Born in Britain late in the fourth century to an aristocratic family, Patrick was raised as a Roman citizen and a nominal Christian, destined for the privileged life of the nobility. But just before his sixteenth birthday, he was kidnapped by Irish pirates and abducted to Ireland, where he spent six lonely years as a slave, tending sheep. Trapped in a foreign land, despondent, and at the mercy of his master, Patrick's ordeal turned him from an atheist to a true believer. After a vision in which God told him he would go home, Patrick escaped captivity and, following a perilous journey, returned to his astonished parents. Even more astonishing was his announcement that he intended to go back to Ireland and devote the rest of his life to ministering to the people who had once enslaved him.

One of Patrick's two surviving letters is a declaration written to jealous British bishops in defense of his activities in Ireland; the other is a stinging condemnation of a ruthless warlord who attacked and killed some of Patrick's Irish followers. Both are powerful statements remarkable for their passion and candor. Freeman includes them in full in new translations of his own.

Combining Patrick's own heartfelt account of his life as he revealed it himself with the turbulent history of the British Isles in the last years of the Roman Empire, St. Patrick of Ireland brilliantly brings to life the real Patrick, shorn of legend, and shows how he helped to change Irish history and culture.

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Customer Reviews:

Riveting Information.......2007-05-22

This is an excellent book that details the geography and history of the times, and the station of life that young Patrick hailed from. All of these background historical details are vital in understanding better Patrick's life and ministry. The author appeared to be as thorough as possible. What was startling was just how depraved, pagan, and cruel, at least the roving Irish were (slave traders, murderers, even cannibals) without the tempering influence of Christianity. It makes one realize how the conversion of Ireland did in fact bring the kind of normalcy that most of us take for granted within the context of civilized society.

March 17 is not about Shamrocks and Green Pint - but Liberation.......2007-03-17

Trivia: Patrick once considered himself a pagan until divine intervention caused him to become the one who drove them out of the Emerald Isle when pagan icons failed to relieve from captivity. St. Patrick's day was a celebration of liberation from the spiritual bondage of pagan practices.

St. Patrick of Ireland, like St. Valentine of Rome, has been commercialized in that pagan secular way of merchandising. St. Patrick drive the snakes out of Ireland when he converted the druids and other animal worship practices into Christianity. It was for this achievement that he was made a Saint.

St. Patrick's Day is his feast day which has turned into a parade for Leprachuans, Shamrocks, Lucky Charms, and all sorts of Druid icons. Nonetheless, there was a historical man who became St. Patrick.

Some historical notes for those interested: Saint Patrick's Day (Irish: Lá 'le Pádraig or Lá Fhéile Pádraig), colloquially Paddy's Day or St. Patty's Day, is the feast day which annually celebrates Saint Patrick (373-493), the patron saint of Ireland, on March 17, the day on which St. Patrick died.

It is the Irish national holiday and one of the public holidays in the Republic of Ireland (a bank holiday in Northern Ireland); the overseas territory of Montserrat; and the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. In the United States, Australia, and rest of Canada it is widely celebrated, although not an official holiday.

It became a feast day in the universal church due to the influence of the Waterford-born Franciscan scholar Luke Wadding, as a member of the commission for the reform of the Breviary [1] in the early part of the 17th century.

The person who was to become St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, was born in Roman Britain about AD 385. His given name was Maewyn, and he almost didn't get the job of bishop of Ireland because he lacked the required scholarship.

Far from being a saint, until he was 16, he considered himself a pagan. At that age, he was sold into slavery by a group of Irish marauders that raided his village. During his captivity, he became closer to God.

He escaped from slavery after six years and went to Gaul where he studied in the monastery under St. Germain, bishop of Auxerre for a period of twelve years. During his training he became aware that his calling was to convert the pagans to Christianity.

He wished to return to Ireland and to convert the native pagans to Christianity, but his superiors instead appointed St. Palladius. However, two years later Palladius transferred to Scotland. Patrick, having adopted that Christian name earlier, was then appointed as second bishop to Ireland.

Patrick was quite successful at winning converts which upset the Celtic Druids. Patrick was arrested several times, but escaped each time. He traveled throughout Ireland, establishing monasteries across the country. He also set up schools and churches which would aid him in his conversion of the Irish country to Christianity.

His mission in Ireland lasted for thirty years. After that time, Patrick retired to County Down. He died on March 17 in AD 461. That day has been commemorated as St. Patrick's Day ever since.

Much Irish folklore surrounds St. Patrick's Day. Not much of it is actually substantiated.

Some of this lore includes the belief that Patrick raised people from the dead. He also is said to have given a sermon from a hilltop that drove all the snakes from Ireland. Of course, no snakes were ever native to Ireland, and some people think this is a metaphor for the conversion of the pagans. Though originally a Catholic holy day, St. Patrick's Day has evolved into more of a secular holiday.

One traditional icon of the day is the shamrock. This stems from a more bona fide Irish tale that tells how Patrick used the three-leafed shamrock to explain the Trinity. He used it in his sermons to represent how the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit could all exist as separate elements of the same entity. His followers adopted the custom of wearing a shamrock on his feast day.

The St. Patrick's Day custom came to America in 1737, the first year St. Patrick's Day was publicly celebrated, in Boston, Mass.

Today, people celebrate the day with parades, wearing green, and drinking beer. One reason St. Patrick's Day might have become so popular is that it takes place just a few days before the first day of spring. One might say it has become the first green of spring.

In the recent past, Saint Patrick's Day was celebrated only as a religious holiday. It became a public holiday in 1903, by the Bank Holiday (Ireland) Act 1903, an Act of the United Kingdom Parliament introduced by the Irish MP James O'Mara[3]. O'Mara later introduced the law which required that pubs be closed on March 17[4], a provision which was repealed only in the 1970s. The first St. Patrick's Day parade held in the Irish Free State was held in Dublin in 1931 and was reviewed by the then Minister of Defence Desmond Fitzgerald. Although secular celebrations now exist, the holiday is still a religious observance in some areas.

It was only in the mid-1990s that the Irish government began a campaign to use Saint Patrick's Day to showcase Ireland and its culture.[2] The government set up a group called St. Patrick's Festival, with the aim to:

--Offer a national festival that ranks amongst all of the greatest celebrations in the world and promote excitement throughout Ireland via innovation, creativity, grassroots involvement, and marketing activity.
--Provide the opportunity and motivation for people of Irish descent, (and those who sometimes wish they were Irish) to attend and join in the imaginative and expressive celebrations.
--Project, internationally, an accurate image of Ireland as a creative, professional and sophisticated country with wide appeal, as we approach the new millennium.[5]
The first Saint Patrick's Festival was held on March 17, 1996. In 1997, it became a three-day event, and by 2000 was a four-day event. By 2006, the festival was five days long.

The topic of the 2004 St. Patrick's Symposium was "Talking Irish," during which the nature of Irish identity, economic success, and the future were discussed. Since 1996, there has been a greater emphasis on celebrating and projecting a fluid and inclusive notion of "Irishness" rather than an identity based around traditional religious or ethnic allegiance. The week around Saint Patrick's Day usually involves Irish speakers using more Irish during seachtain na Gaeilge ("Irish Week").

Shamrock ("three-leaf clover")Many Irish people still wear a bunch of shamrocks on their lapels or caps on this day or green, white, and orange badges (after the colours of the Irish flag). Girls and boys wear green in their hair. Artists draw shamrock designs on people's cheeks as a cultural sign, including American tourists.

A very ordinary man who accomplished extraordinary things in his lifetime........2006-04-13

I'm personally challenged by the life of Patrick, kidnapped as a teenager and escaping as a young adult only to return to the land of his captors to serve the people there for the remainder of his life. He began entirely new communities and raised the standard for equal treatment of women in a time when they were thought of as little better than property. Amazing as that was, he grew to genuinely love and care for the Irish, although they were considerably less developed and a harsher people than his own. Freeman gives finely researched historical background to the times and context that Patrick lived in - both in Roman Britain and in Ireland. I learned heaps and it wasn't at all painful.

A Magical and Poetic Work of Art!!.......2005-04-27

I was shocked at how beautiful this biography turned out to be! I expected a lot of non-essential information, but there was a wealth of information on the real man who was St. Patrick. The author is a 'wielder of words' and really drew me into the life and times of St. Patrick. A lovely, highly-readable, and now very treasured book in my library!

The Truth about St. Patrick.......2005-04-19

In regard to the life of St. Patrick, there are a lot of misconceptions. It is a myth that St. Patrick drove the snakes out of Ireland. Even if this were true, it would not necessarily qualify him as a saint. Myths such as this were written only to further St. Patrick's legacy. St. Patrick is recognized as having brought Christianity to Ireland with dedication that could only have come from God. In his book, Philip Freeman, tells what we know to be the truth about the saint's life based on his personal letters.

Few people remember that Patrick was actually a British nobleman. At sixteen years of age, he was kidnapped from his homeland to be taken to Ireland in slavery. He spent six years in slavery before the voice of God told him how to escape. Escaping as worker on a cargo ship despite insurmountable odds, St. Patrick is able to return to his homeland. When he returns home, God informs him in a dream that he must return to Ireland to spread the Good News of the Lord. This was a job that few Christians wanted as Ireland was run by savage pagans. St. Patrick followed God's call and studied to become a deacon, then priest, before becoming the bishop of Ireland. His work is phenomenal because he reached so many people, most by preaching to individuals. While his education was more limited than many clergymen of his time, the simple truths he taught built a great nation of Christianity.

In the book, Freeman gives the best possible account of St. Patrick's life as the sparse records of the past will allow. Unlike other biographers, he does not embellish the life of this saint. Freeman's voice seems very removed from the subject as he writes giving the book a very impersonal feeling. I also object to the redundancy in Freeman's writing as he often repeats himself and goes for pages only writing about Patrick's era not St. Patrick himself. While I do not fault him for the limited amount of imformation on the saint's life, straying from the subject of St. Patrick's life for long periods of the book is inexcusable. That being said, the book is accurate and a easy read.

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Rather dissapointing if you ask me...
Far from his best work
A Good Read
An Unfortunate Waste of Time
A keenly-felt disappointment

Patrick: Son of Ireland
Stephen R. Lawhead
Manufacturer: HarperTorch
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 006001282X
Release Date: 2004-01-27

Book Description

Slave, soldier, lover, hero, saint,—his life mirrored the cataclysmic world into which he was born. His memory will outlast the ages.

Born of a noble Welsh family, he is violently torn from his home by Irish raiders at age sixteen and sold as a slave to a brutal wilderness king. Rescued by the king's druids from almost certain death, he learns the arts of healing and song, and the mystical ways of a secretive order whose teachings tantalize with hints at a deeper wisdom. Yet young Succat Morgannwg cannot rest until he sheds the strangling yoke of slavery and returns to his homeland across the sea. He pursues his dream of freedom through horrific war and shattering tragedy—through great love and greater loss—from a dying, decimated Wales to the bloody battlefields of Gaul to the fading majesty of Rome. And in the twilight of a once-supreme empire, he is transformed yet again by divine hand and a passionate vision of "truth against the world," accepting the name that will one day become legend . . . Patricius!

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Slave, soldier, lover, hero, saint, -- his life mirrored the cataclysmic world into which he was born. His memory will outlast the ages.

Born of a noble Welsh family, he is violently torn from his home by Irish raiders at age sixteen and sold as a slave to a brutal wilderness king. Rescued by the king's druids from almost certain death, he learns the arts of healing and song, and the mystical ways of a secretive order whose teachings tantalize with hints at a deeper wisdom. Yet young Succat Morgannwg cannot rest until he sheds the strangling yoke of slavery and returns to his homeland across the sea. He pursues his dream of freedom through horrific war and shattering tragedy -- through great love and greater loss -- from a dying, decimated Wales to the bloody battlefields of Gaul to the fading majesty of Rome. And in the twilight of a once-supreme empire, he is transformed yet again by divine hand and a passionate vision of ""truth against the world,"" accepting the name that will one day become legend…Patricius!

Customer Reviews:

Rather dissapointing if you ask me..........2007-06-17

Dear Reader,

I picked this book up expecting yet another exciting Lawhead adventure. I was not disappointed. I devoured the first few chapters finding the writing to be wonderful and the story line captivating. However I soon ran into some rather disturbing scenes that I believe are inappropriate for any age reader. Lawhead no doubt wanted to show the wild life of Patrick before he was converted to Christianity, but I believe that he could have done this quite well without compromising Christian morals. I continued reading and was swept away as Patrick was captured and made to serve the cruel Irish, enduring many hardships and struggles. However, as in most of Lawhead's novels, our hero was badly wounded and awoke to a lovely woman attending his wounds. I need not describe what followed. I quit reading then and there. Also this took place after he was beginning to `convert'. Not exactly my idea of a saint.

Perhaps the story got better. Maybe not. I will never know. I just wish for you to have a fair warning before you read this book that it is not exactly what I would expect from a `Christian' author...

Sincerely,

Frank Opinion

Far from his best work.......2007-05-15

Prior to Patrick, I read the Pendragon Cycle (which he wrote before) and the first book in his new King Raven trilogy, Hood (which he wrote after). Very enjoyable, across the board. But with Patrick, Lawhead dropped the ball. I had to grit my teeth and force my way through this book, hoping all the while that it would equal the quality of his other books. It didn't. I had high hopes for this novel, St. Patrick being a historical figure who has always intrigued me. The novel never rose to meet those hopes.

I came to the conclusion that telling this entire tale in the first person was the problem, and consequently wrote off all first person narrative as inadequate in telling a good story. That opinion changed when I read Patrick Rothfuss's The Name of the Wind. Now that is how first person narrative should read.

With the high quality of Hood, I trust that Patrick was just an anomaly in what has been a fine career. Perhaps he should just stay away from telling an entire tale in the first person . . .

A Good Read.......2007-03-30

This was a very well written story. I have read a great deal about Celtic life and history in the last few years, and this book appeared well researched. The action was constant, the character development was excellent, and the settings were beautifully and richly detailed. There was more sex than I am usually comfortable with, but it was not raunchy or offensive, so it did not destroy my enjoyment of the story. All in all, a very good read!

An Unfortunate Waste of Time.......2007-03-23

First things first: this review focuses on the novel's religious perspective, from the perspective of a practicing Catholic. While there are other points addressed, if the religious take doesn't interest you than you can skip my review. Also, please be aware that minor spoilers follow.

Stephen Lawhead is probably most well-known for his Pendragon Cycle. I read the entire thing and for the most part, it was quality reading, at least in terms of fantasy fiction.

As a Catholic and a historian, I was especially impressed by how well the church was treated, a rarity in fiction these days -- it was a while ago that I last read them, but I remember nothing but respectful approaches to monks and other religious figures.

Prior to Patrick, the only other Lawhead book I'd read was Byzantium, which likewise started off well regarding religious figures (the main character is an Irish monk who leaves his monastery on a journey with his superiors), although part of the way through I got a vague sense that Lawhead was perhaps not a fan of "the Church" so much as he was of Christianity. Still, there was nothing pervasively offensive, and it was a decent read (Lawhead is also the author of a trilogy on the Crusades, but I haven't read them so I can't comment on his religious sensibilities regarding those books or the historical events they are based on).

Apart from any religious aspect, Lawhead is really very good at his early social history, painting what seems like an accurate picture of what life may have been like, and also seemed to have his historical trappings well-researched. In short, it felt very much like you were where the story was taking place.

The only thing I've ever discovered to be anachronistic about Lawhead's work in general is the attitudes he gives to his main characters -- quite a few are either very modern in their sensibilities (although their ideas are still couched in a generic kind of archaic "history-speak"), or come off like how a fan of the New Age would render the thoughts of characters who happened to be Druids or Wizards (like Merlin, for example), or whatever. It was easy to excuse these departures as done for the sake of a modern readership, though, so it really wasn't a problem.

I was interested to see, then, how Lawhead would handle the story of St. Patrick. Unfortunately everything that didn't go wrong before was glaringly problematic this time, and everything that wasn't quite right before got worse.

To start with, Lawhead demonstrates almost a hatred for the traditional church. I'm not sure whether this attitude was adopted since his previous writings or whether he held them but they never came out in his writing. It seems more like the former, because he had ample opportunity in those earlier writings to villify the church and didn't really take them.

This time, though, he goes overboard, which seems especially inappropriate in a book about a saint.

Essentially, the last half of the book contains an entire large subplot (that eventually intersects in a big way with the main plot) that is nothing more tha an attempt at historically rehabilitating the heretic Pelagius, making him the good guy against those stodgy, self-absorbed priests of modern legend. It's all the more shameful because the first half of the book really is a good read.

What little we know of St. Patrick included nothing like that. In fact there's very little of what we know in here at all, other than that Patrick was captured by the Irish, enslaved, and forced to be a shepherd for years. But instead of saying hundreds of prayers a day, as Patrick himself tells us happened in real life, this fictional Patrick spends the time alternately learning Irish, laying around bored, or fornicating.

What an inspiration.

Lawhead also has a soft spot for druidism that runs over to the extreme here. It isn't usually a problem in his works, as pretty much every time he has a subplot about the druids they are innocuous and interesting, and regarding Christianity, in all his works I've read they uniformly recognize the truth of Christianity and more or less incorporate it to varying degrees in their religious practice. As Lawhead presents the druids, this isn't a problem for a Christian reader to accept -- Lawhead's druids are basically scientists, naturalists, and doctors. In the case of the Pendragon Cycle's Merlin it was easy enough to accept some mysticism, since after all it was a fantasy story tinged with history.

This time around though it was a historical novel that inexplicably had bits of weird fantasy tied to it, for no good reason. The druids here make use of Power Words, which would be fine alongside Christianity if this were presented as a fantasy, where we are to suspend disbelief about things like native magic. In Patrick, though, the druidical powers, no matter how muted in use, stick out like a sore thumb and ultimately detract from the historical sense of the rest of the novel. Lawhead didn't see the need to include things like this in Byzantium, so I don't know why he did it here.

A particular weakness of all Lawhead's writing is that after a time he becomes predictible within his own works. He has some original ideas, but he reuses the same ideas for each story. By this time they were easy to spot, and besides were particulary unsatisfying. In fact there is one Deus Ex Machina scene, involving the climax of all things, that destroys any virtue the read had up until that point.

Finally, Lawhead drops the ball in plot choice. This reads less like historical fantasy and more like a Harlequinn novel from a man's perspective. And in fact, all Lawhead's male main characters are so sympathetic and wise as to verge on overly sensitive. At least characters in previous novels were still manly; here Patrick, while not effeminate in any way, nonetheless doesn't demonstrate much in the way of manly virtue, at least not until the very end. To some degree that seems to be the point, but it contrasts poorly with all the romance novel conventions Lawhead applies to other parts of the plot.

The story also ends when Patrick returns to Ireland to convert the Irish over to his brand of druidic quasi-Christianity, which Lawhead has him spout. In that light all that Patrick says about Christ comes off as mere relgious platitudes, afterthoughts that have no real power or meaning to the story or the character.

Prior to this novel I assumed Lawhead was a serviceable writer and a historically knowledgeable well-meaning Christian. But whatever his motivations, Patrick starts with promise but soon devolves into a poorly-crafted waste of time.

A keenly-felt disappointment.......2006-12-04

I've long been a middling fan of Lawhead - some titles I've genuinely enjoyed, such as the Pendragon Cycle (in its original three books)the first title in the Song of Albion cycle, or Byzantium, while others have left me nonplussed, or even deeply annoyed (such as the nonsensical fourth book in the Pendragon Cycle, a needless and lower-grade retelling of events). At the same time, I have long been moved by the story of Patrick, and feel I am fairly well-versed in it. I was very excited, therefore, and a little anxious, when I learned that Lawhead had tackled this tale.

I was almost immediately disappointed, as the character I saw resembled nothing of the character I hoped for. I pressed on, though, hoping to see the profound change which manifested itself in this man of God during his captivity. What I saw instead was a shallow person continually rebelling, dragging forward a plot and a life which never became the powerful and deep existence of the Irish saint. Patrick reads like a rehashing of Byzantium, minus the original spark which made that book glow.

Little-known as they are, we have two manuscripts penned by saint Patrick himself, and they illustrate a man of deep humility, unshakeable faith, and a very strong will, well suited to clash with the pagan hearts he went up against. Lawhead's Patrick, however, is morally weak, unsure and focused on the shallow things. Not a man to admire, and nothing like the man I was hoping to read. Such dramatic rewriting and diluting of a real historical figure is hardly called for, and shows a lack of concern for truth and depth of detail, which seems to be Lawhead's largest flaw in the way he sees history.

Alas, I'll just have to keep waiting for the right fictional representation of Patrick, or write the book myself. Who knows, I may.

Let Me Die in Ireland, the True Story of Patrick

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I never knew...
Tough to wade through
Cuts To The Chase
part true- part intepritation
Convicting to the core!

Let Me Die in Ireland, the True Story of Patrick
David W. Bercot
Manufacturer: Scroll Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0924722088

Book Description

This work cuts through all of the myths about St. Patrick and presents the authentic, stirring account of one of the greatest missionaries who ever lived. Patrick gave up a comfortable life as an upper-class citizen of Roman Britain to live in poverty, suffering, and constant danger in Ireland. Although ridiculed and rejected by his own people in Britain, Patrick changed the course of an entire nation.

Customer Reviews:

I never knew..........2007-05-14

There is a lot in this book that I never knew about St. Patrick. Here in America the person is never considered, mostly just the country of Ireland around St. Patrick's Day. It was an easy read, which I finished in just a few days. It definately helped strengthen my realationship with God to see one person's conviction so strong.

Tough to wade through.......2007-01-10

Despite my opinion that David Bercot is one of the best writers around, interesting and captivating, this book is not. I couldn't get through it, though I eventually will. A good friend did get through it, and he told me that it gets interesting around the last quarter of the book. I'm interested in Patrick, but the story format just isn't captivating. Even my friend, who finished it, said he debated putting it down several times, but he really wanted to get to the end.

The history's accurate, I'm sure, because Bercot's careful to use original sources and interpret them reasonably, but as a story, it's just dull. Again, that's amazing, because Bercot is an gifted and captivating writer. My thought is that he should have approached it as a history rather than writing it as a story, because his history books can't be put down.

I'm only giving it 3 stars, because I know the history can be trusted.

Cuts To The Chase.......2006-07-25

A sixteen year old boy - Patric - from a prosperous family belonging to the autonomous Celtic church is taken captive, along with some of his family's servants. Patric is portrayed as whiny and snobbish, which provides more depth and drama as he learns to survive in a strange, savage land where he is kept as a slave. The only thing that turned me off was the way people spoke in modern English. Bercot didn't need to make them use "thees" and "thous" - but he fubbed up in using "Don't kid yourself". Through the help of an elderly slave, Cedd, who is also a British captive, Patric finds faith, and purpose, and meaning in life. After God has decided his time of trial in Ireland is over, He helps Patric escape. This suspensful journey is the a real heart-throbber. Then comes the tear-jerker, as Patric, who is now a grown man, is finally reunited with his parents. When it looks as though his life was about normal, Patric has a dream where God tells him to return to Ireland. Oh no! Patric doesn't really want to go back, but knows he must, and faces ridicule and rejection as those around him respond with either condecension, or with jeers. A wise man advises him to wait until the church leaders send him, rather than going on his own, and years pass without them doing more than elevating him to the office of a deacon. Finally, after another church sends a missionary to Ireland, people realize that Patric's bright idea was more than an idea: It was a calling. Journey with Patric as he shares the light of the Gospel with those he has come to love, and receives the answer to his prayer, "Let me die in Ireland."

part true- part intepritation .......2006-03-02

We do have Patrick's autobiography, and little else. This book adds to this some commentary and extra which show a particular point of view. It is an interesting point of view but not entirely doucmented.

Convicting to the core!.......2005-10-03

I just grabbed this book for something to read on the bus and didn't have high expectations for it. Although I'm starting to get into the writings of early Christians, I didn't thnk Patrick would be that important. Was I wrong! His story is very interesting, but more important I was extremely inspired by his message and convictions. A couple of examples in particular are how he prayed like "the persistant widow" to get out of Ireland where he was taken to to be sold as a slave, and how when he did escape, God called him back to spread the good news. The seriousness of his commitment inspired me deeply. He did not hesitate to excommunicate anyone who wasn't living according to the Word and he preached that the decision to become a Christian is not something to be taken lightly. "...there is no turning back. It would be far better to never become a Christian than to become one and revert to your former ways." Also, just how he totally devoted himself to Christ, was willing to put up with hardship and make any sacrifice, had utmost integrity and forgave his betrayors. You can sense the struggles reading this book, but he persevered.
The book is a quick read, and while the author admits using artistic license to recreate the dialogue, his main sources of information for the book are Patrick's "Testimony" and his letter of excommunication sent to the British king.
I highly recommend this very inspiring book.

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Captivating and Timeless Story

The Story of Saint Patrick
James A. Janda
Manufacturer: Paulist Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0809166232

Book Description

Prisoner, slave and saint! Even though a lot of people celebrate the day of the 'wearing of the green!,' few know the actual story of this remarkable and exciting man. Ages 5-8.

Customer Reviews:

Captivating and Timeless Story.......2007-04-18

Perfect for children aged 4-9. The story is told beautifully and concentrates on the character of a true saint.

I'm glad saints as role models are coming back into fashion with the surge in interest in Waldorf education.

Average customer rating:

this wasn't horrible...
Snakes...Begone!
Good and surprising

The Last Snake in Ireland
Sheila MacGill Callahan
Manufacturer: Holiday House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0823415554

Amazon.com

Those pesky Irish snakes! Patrick (pre-sainthood) could ignore their naughty behavior for a while, but when they start teasing his poor old dog Finbar, well, that is just the last straw. It is clearly time to haul out his magic bell and rid the land of this pestilence! But before Patrick can rest too heavily on his laurels, he discovers that the biggest, oldest, sneakiest snake in all of Ireland has resisted his magic and is now bound and determined to make his life miserable. Whenever Patrick's back is turned, the sly serpent steals swigs from his mug of buttermilk, peeks in the window while he is entertaining friends, or hides under his quilt at night. Patrick's attempts to outsmart and outrun his sinuous enemy through all of Ireland and Scotland culminate in a surprising, indeed extraordinary, turn of events.

Sheila MacGill-Callahan's lively, lilting version of the well-known story of Saint Patrick (combined cleverly with another familiar tale) is a fantastic introduction to Irish and Scottish legend. Will Hillenbrand's gorgeous mixed-media paintings invite the reader to slither gleefully along on this battle of wills. (Ages 5 and older) --Emilie Coulter

Book Description

Patrick is challenged when he tries to rid Ireland of its last snake.

Customer Reviews:

this wasn't horrible..........2005-01-30

...but it wasn't terribly authentic either. I was looking for a more "classic" tale about St. Patrick, but this is rather made up from an American perspective. The illustrations are bland. There's got to be something better out there.

Snakes...Begone!.......2002-02-20

"Everyone knows that Patrick sent the snakes out of Ireland because they were so naughty folks were sick and tired of having them around. He'd tried for years to make them behave, but they just laughed at him. Then he found a gang of them teasing his old lame dog, Finbar, and he lost his temper." Enough was enough. Patrick rang his magic bell and like the Pied Piper, charmed every snake from every corner of Ireland, and led them all into the sea. All except one, "the biggest, oldest, sneakiest snake in all of Ireland." And that nasty old snake vowed to make Patrick's life miserable. Wherever Patrick went, the snake was there to torment him, peeking in windows, hanging from tree branches and tapping him on the head, stealing drinks from his mug when he wasn't looking, and even curling up in his bed. This rascally old snake had to go, and finally after thinking and thinking, Patrick came up with a plan..... Sheila MacGill-Callahan takes an old Irish legend, adds a little silly fun and a lot of humor, and comes up with a thoroughly entertaining and charming story that shouldn't be missed. Her engaging text, complete with lilting Irish rhythm begs to be read aloud, and is enhanced by Will Hillenbrand's bright, bold artwork. Together, this dynamic duo weaves a magical tale, with a surprise ending, that brings out the Irish in all of us. Perfect for youngsters 4-8, The Last Snake In Ireland is a rip roarin' good read that's just right for St Patrick's Day, and is just as enjoyable any other day of the year too.

Good and surprising.......2001-02-01

I just finished reading this book about two minutes ago and I really liked it. My intention was to get some knowledge about Ireland, but I found more information about snakes and later the Loch Ness monster. I dont' want to ruin the book for those of you who want to read it. The pictures are very colorful and entertaining. If you are looking for information on Ireland, this isn't the book, but it is a good myth.

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