8 places to explore the story of St Patrick
St Patrick is commemorated in almost every city, town, and village across Ireland. Countless cathedrals, churches, schools, sports clubs and streets are named after Ireland’s patron saint. And there are historic sites, holy wells, ancient churches and geographical features across the island where St Patrick is said to have visited. Many of these places are likely to have been rebranded from now forgotten local saints, or are the result of successive layers of later hagiography, myth and legend, that has been continually recreated and refined over the centuries by successive Irish imaginations. There was always great pride in having a place associated with St Patrick, along with financial and political gain. Pilgrimage was big business throughout medieval Ireland, and having a relic or site associated with a famous saint could provide a valuable income to your religious foundation or region.
In the two accounts written by Patrick himself, he in fact only mentions one place in Ireland – a place called ‘Silva Focluti’, the Wood of Foclut, which archaeologists and historians believe was somewhere in County Mayo, in the region of Killala Bay. So what do we know for sure about Patrick? Well, we know that Patrick lived in the 5th century. He was born somewhere along the western coast of Britain – likely in the region of modern Cumbria, Lancashire or North Wales, into a relatively high status family. He was captured and brought to Ireland as a slave when he was around 16 years old. He escaped after six years, and returned to Britain, before he felt compelled by Divine inspiration to return to Ireland to begin his Christian mission.
Some time after Patrick died, his story and fame began to grow. By the 7th century, a number of hagiographies on the ‘Life of Patrick’ began to appear. These can be seen as part of the competition for primacy amongst leading monastic centres like Armagh, who were competing with other national saints like Brigid and Colmcille.
These Latin lives contain much of the early myths and legends which would go on to inform the traditional celebration of Patrick in subsequent centuries – including the earliest references to sites reputedly founded by or associated with him. In them we find the earliest appearance of places like Tara, Saul, Downpatrick and Slemish, and these stories were adapted throughout the years since. All of those layers have weaved together the image of the snake-expelling super saint that we celebrate today.
Many of the places that we now associate so closely with St Patrick may not necessarily have been visited by the man himself, but that isn’t to say that they are not beautiful, atmospheric and deeply historic places to visit today! So if you’re looking for a peaceful oasis to escape to this St Patrick’s Day, or a historic landscape filled with myth and legend, here are some of my personal favourite places linked with stories of Ireland’s patron saint, St Patrick.
St Patrick is commemorated in almost every city, town, and village across Ireland. Countless cathedrals, churches, schools, sports clubs and streets are named after Ireland’s patron saint. And there are historic sites, holy wells, ancient churches and geographical features across the island where St Patrick is said to have visited. Many of these places are likely to have been rebranded from now forgotten local saints, or are the result of successive layers of later hagiography, myth and legend, that has been continually recreated and refined over the centuries by successive Irish imaginations. There was always great pride in having a place associated with St Patrick, along with financial and political gain. Pilgrimage was big business throughout medieval Ireland, and having a relic or site associated with a famous saint could provide a valuable income to your religious foundation or region.
In the two accounts written by Patrick himself, he in fact only mentions one place in Ireland – a place called ‘Silva Focluti’, the Wood of Foclut, which archaeologists and historians believe was somewhere in County Mayo, in the region of Killala Bay. So what do we know for sure about Patrick? Well, we know that Patrick lived in the 5th century. He was born somewhere along the western coast of Britain – likely in the region of modern Cumbria, Lancashire or North Wales, into a relatively high status family. He was captured and brought to Ireland as a slave when he was around 16 years old. He escaped after six years, and returned to Britain, before he felt compelled by Divine inspiration to return to Ireland to begin his Christian mission.
Some time after Patrick died, his story and fame began to grow. By the 7th century, a number of hagiographies on the ‘Life of Patrick’ began to appear. These can be seen as part of the competition for primacy amongst leading monastic centres like Armagh, who were competing with other national saints like Brigid and Colmcille.
These Latin lives contain much of the early myths and legends which would go on to inform the traditional celebration of Patrick in subsequent centuries – including the earliest references to sites reputedly founded by or associated with him. In them we find the earliest appearance of places like Tara, Saul, Downpatrick and Slemish, and these stories were adapted throughout the years since. All of those layers have weaved together the image of the snake-expelling super saint that we celebrate today.
Many of the places that we now associate so closely with St Patrick may not necessarily have been visited by the man himself, but that isn’t to say that they are not beautiful, atmospheric and deeply historic places to visit today! So if you’re looking for a peaceful oasis to escape to this St Patrick’s Day, or a historic landscape filled with myth and legend, here are some of my personal favourite places linked with stories of Ireland’s patron saint, St Patrick.
Of the many places throughout the island associated with the saint, there is one place in Ireland that we know Patrick is likely to have been himself – County Mayo. According to his writings, the young Patrick was captured in a raid on his family’s villa; transported to Ireland; sold into slavery and set to work as a herdsman. He described the ‘Silva Focluti’, or the ‘Wood of Foclut’, believed to be in the area of Killala Bay in the far west of Connacht, along the coast of modern-day North Mayo.
In that region, Downpatrick Head is imbued with the story of St Patrick, and a statue to him can be seen on the headland. There are many folkloric stories about this area. One of the tales tells of the powerful pagan figure, Crom Dubh, who challenged Patrick and tried to hurl the saint into a fire. Before he could be seized, Patrick scratched a cross onto a stone and flung it into the flames. This caused the fire and the ground around it to collapse into the sea and formed the feature known as Poll a Sean Tine (the Hole of the Old Fire). In terror at this demonstration of power, Crom Dubh retreated inside his fort on the edge of the mainland. Patrick followed him and struck his staff onto the causeway, forcing it to collapse and forever trapping Crom Dubh inside his ruined fort on Dún Bríste.
Members of Tuatha can visit Downpatrick Head and a whole host of wonderful places along North Mayo’s rugged Céide Coast, in our exclusive itinerary.
Croagh Patrick • Mayo
If a sea stack isn’t enough, Mayo boasts a whole mountain of stories about St Patrick! Croagh Patrick rises some 765m above sea level over the beautiful surroundings of Clew Bay. According to legend, St Patrick climbed the mountain before Easter and spent 40 days and 40 nights fasting and praying on its slopes. During this long solitary struggle, it is said that he was visited by demons and visions of the old pagan gods and he banished each and every one by praying and ringing a bell. Patrick resisted temptation and on the fortieth day he declared all demons to be banished from the country never to return. Legend changed demons to snakes, and to this day, Patrick still endures as the patron saint for ophiophobics (people who are afraid of snakes).
Today Croagh Patrick is an important pilgrimage destination. Large numbers of visitors climb the mountain every year, and on ‘Reek Sunday’ (the last Sunday in July) alone, around 25,000 climb the steep slopes. They are possibly following a much earlier pilgrim route. There are many clues in the surrounding landscape that Croagh Patrick was also an important place of pilgrimage throughout prehistory, long before Patrick arrived on our shores.
In the shadow of the Holy Mountain is Murrisk Friary, which was founded by Hugh O’Malley in around 1457 for the Augustinian Friars. Murrisk was dedicated to Saint Patrick, and the friary became the traditional starting point of the Croagh Patrick pilgrimage. The friary once held relics associated with Patrick, including one of the saint’s teeth, now in the National Museum of Ireland.
Members of Tuatha can explore Craogh Patrick and Murrisk Friary, as well as many more fascinating sites along this rugged coast in our exclusive Achill Island & Clew Bay Trail Itinerary.
The Hill of Slane • Meath
The Hill of Slane in County Meath is another place imbued with tales of Patrick, though centuries of hagiography, myth and legend. According to one common story, Patrick arrived on the Hill of Slane with an intention to challenge the old beliefs and to assert his Christian faith by lighting a huge fire. This was forbidden as it was during the festival of Bealtaine. This was a time when all the fires across the country were extinguished to mark the end of the winter, and a great fire that could be seen for miles around was due to be lit by the High King at dawn on the Hill of Tara, symbolising the dawn of a new year.
Patrick’s fire outshone that of the High King’s, so the saint was captured and brought to Tara to answer for his crime. Legend has it that Patrick managed to perform many feats and miracles to prove to the King that the Christian God was far more powerful than the old Gods. In one of the most famous of the stories that surround Patrick, it is said that he used a three-leaved shamrock to explain the mysteries of Christianity to the King, giving rise to one of Ireland’s most renowned symbols and stories. You can discover more about the Hill of Slane in our free article and visitor guide here.
Carndonagh • Donegal
Donegal is a land that is more associated with the great Colmcille. However, like everywhere across Ireland, Donegal also has places associated with St Patrick. Perhaps the most famous of these today is St Patrick’s Purgatory on Lough Derg. Though we’re going to focus on the small Inishowen town of Carndonagh. This area seems once to have been the site of an important early monastic settlement. It is claimed that Patrick founded a church here, yet relatively little is known about its origins. For us, Carndonagh is of particular interest for its unique high cross and enigmatic stone sculptures.
The high cross, known as Saint Patrick’s Cross, today stands beneath a small shelter near the 18th century Church of Ireland. The eastern face has elaborate interlacing decoration at the head of the cross ending in birds with interlocking beaks. Christ is depicted on the shaft, flanked by four smaller figures, with three more human figures depicted at the base. Its western face is covered with broad interlace ornamentation. There is considerable debate as to the dating of this cross and the two decorated pillars that flank it but, considering the style of artwork, a date around the early 9th century may be a reasonable estimate.
Carndonagh features as a stop on our Inishowen Peninsula Road Trip Itinerary, which is now available to all members of Tuatha. This tour of the rugged coastline takes in some of our favourite spots, including the region’s most iconic monuments as well as those wonderful hidden heritage sites that are a little off the beaten track on the beautiful Inishowen Peninsula.
The Rock of Cashel • Tipperary
The Rock of Cashel is one of the most spectacular and popular heritage sites in Ireland. It is also deeply steeped in folklore and mythology surrounding St Patrick, and this is reflected in its name in Irish Carraig Phádraig, (that translates as St. Patrick’s Rock). According to legend, St Patrick visited Cashel to baptise the powerful King of Munster, Aonghus. This baptismal ceremony was a monumental moment for the kingdom, as the baptism of Aonghus signified the end of paganism in Munster and the beginning of Christianity. Hundreds of people were invited to the site to witness this seminal occasion.
Patrick carried out the baptism but at the end of the ceremony, carried away with his own oratory, he accidentally thrust his crozier (a staff with a sharp pointed end) through the foot of King Aonghus who didn’t even flinch. Of course all the spectators started to panic thinking that if Patrick was willing to stab a King through the foot then surely worse would be in store for them! When Patrick realised what had happened, he quickly calmed the situation down and took Aonghus aside to find out why he had stayed silent. Poor Aonghus admitted that he thought that the stabbing was part of the baptismal ritual.
Despite this bad start, this tale marks the beginning of Christianity on the Rock of Cashel. Much of this story is likely to be embellishing of the St Patrick legend by later writers. However, the Rock of Cashel is still one of Ireland’s most iconic sites, with some of the most important medieval buildings in Ireland. Originally the Rock was the ancient seat of the Kings of Munster, and it later became one of the key Christian centres of medieval Ireland.
You can discover more about the Rock of Cashel in our free article and visitor guide here.
St Patrick’s Well • Tipperary
Not far from the Rock of Cashel is the beautifully tranquil oasis of St Patrick’s Well, just outside our hometown of Clonmel in South Tipperary. According to the Life of St Declan that was written in the 10th century, St Patrick stopped here at this picturesque valley on his journey through Tipperary and Waterford, before reaching Cashel. There are over 3,000 holy wells in Ireland and St Patrick’s Well is thought to be one of the largest. Holy wells are sacred places where natural springs or man-made hollows that collect water are thought to have a religious significance because of their association with a saint. Many are thought to have been originally places of pre-Christian worship, that were then later co-opted as Christian sites following the conversion of the local population.
St Patrick’s Well is said to have many curative properties in local belief and folklore. The crystal clear water is said to help ailments like sore lips, sore eyes and many other chronic diseases. Indeed, it is thought that this well has miraculous properties as the water which flows through it never freezes. This is more likely owing to the well being sited over natural springs that maintain a constant temperature. You can discover more about St Patrick’s Well in our free article and visitor guide here.
Downpatrick Cathedral • Down
There has been debate about Patrick’s final resting place for centuries. According to the Life of Patrick written by Muirchú, the saint was buried at Downpatrick after a dispute that was solved by a miracle. Muirchú described that there was a great rivalry between the Úi Néill (who favoured Armagh) and the Ulaid (who favoured Downpatrick). To solve the dispute, St Patrick’s body was placed on a cart, freely drawn by two oxen. Under God’s guidance, the oxen chose Downpatrick as the burial place. However, this account was disputed at the time by Bishop Tírechán, who also wrote of the life of Patrick, who stated that no-one knew where Patrick’s bones were. However, perhaps through political expediency, Muirchú’s claim became the accepted one over time. Later, the Annals of the Four Masters describe how Patrick was joined by the remains of St Brigid and St Colmcille, a true triumvirate tomb to entice any pilgrim.
This was capitalised on by the Anglo Norman warlord John de Courcy. During his conquest of Ulster, he wished to establish a shrine to St Patrick, St Brigid and St Colmcille to benefit from the wealth brought by pilgrimage. However, by that time the exact location of the grave had been lost. In 1186 Bishop Malachy prayed for guidance, and one night a shaft of light like a sunbeam indicated the burial place. They were subsequently recovered and brought inside the cathedral.
Downpatrick was raided and burned by the English in 1538. Following the restoration of Downpatrick Cathedral in the late 18th and 19th century, the stone coffins containing the saints were re-discovered. To perhaps avoid countless Catholic pilgrims entering the now reconstructed Anglican cathedral, the saints were moved back outside to the graveyard. Where they are said to rest still, under a large stone that bears Patrick’s name.
St Patrick’s Bell • The National Museum of Ireland • Dublin
The elaborate shrine was commissioned in the late 11th or early 12th century by Domhnall Ua Lochlainn, King of Ireland, and head of a powerful branch of the Uí Néill dynasty. Today the splendid shrine can be seen as part of the National Museum’s wonderful Treasury Exhibition.
St Patrick’s story has been told in many ways across the centuries since his death. I always highly recommend reading his own words on the excellent Confessio website, where you can find both the Confessio and Epistola, as well as the accounts by Muirchú, Tírechán, and more. The website Vox Hiberionacum is also a wonderfully insightful place to dig into the story of Patrick and the Ireland that he would have experienced.
And we have an audiobook, Patrick: Six Years a Slave written by Patrician expert Terry O’Hagan, and compellingly narrated by Gerry O’Brien. The audiobook seeks to disentangle the real Patrick from the supersaint of later legend, to better understand the man behind the myth. Using his own writings as well as the latest archaeological information, the audiobook examines questions such as, where did Patrick come from? What was fifth century Ireland like? How did he manage to escape slavery, and why did he return to Ireland?
And in honour of the man himself, you can download it for free at the link below.