# Happy Saint Patrick's Day



## Irish Wampanoag (Apr 6, 2003)

Happy Saint Patrick's Day March 17th

*Saint Patrick* (Latin: _Patricius_,[2] Irish: _Naomh Pádraig_), said[_by whom?_] to have been born *Maewyn Succat* (Latin: _Magonus Succetus_), was a Roman Britain-born Christian missionary and is the patron saint of Ireland along with Brigid of Kildare and Columba. When he was about sixteen he was captured by Irish raiders and taken from his native Wales as a slave to Ireland, where he lived for six years before escaping and returning to his family. After entering the church, he later returned to Ireland as a missionary in the north and west of the island, but little is known about the places where he worked and no link can be made between Patrick and any church. By the eighth century he had become the patron saint of Ireland. The Irish monastery system evolved after the time of Patrick and the Irish church did not develop the diocesan model that Patrick and the other early missionaries had tried to establish.
The available body of evidence does not allow the dates of Patrick's life to be fixed with certainty, but it appears that he was active as a missionary in Ireland during the second half of the fifth century. Two letters from him survive, along with later hagiographies from the seventh century onwards. Many of these works cannot be taken as authentic traditions. Uncritical acceptance of the _Annals of Ulster_ (see below) would imply that he lived from 340 to 460, and ministered in what is modern day northern Ireland from 428 onwards. On 17th March St.Patricks day is celebrated to remember him and what he did. This is celebrated across the world.
*Contents*

[hide]

1 Background
2 Patrick in his own words
3 Early traditions
4 Patrick in legend
5 Missionary Legacy
6 Methods for Conversion
7 Sainthood and remembrance
8 Saint Patrick in literature
9 See also
10 References
11 Further reading 
12 External links

*Background*

Most modern studies of Saint Patrick follow a variant of T. F. O'Rahilly's "Two Patricks" theory. That is to say, many of the traditions later attached to Saint Patrick originally concerned Palladius, a deacon from Gaul who came to Ireland, perhaps sent by Pope Celestine I (died 431). Palladius was not the only early cleric in Ireland at this time. Saints Auxilius, Secundinus and Iserninus are associated with early churches in Munster and Leinster. By this reading, Palladius was active in Ireland until the 460s.[3]
Prosper of Aquitaine's contemporary chronicle states:
Palladius was ordained by Pope Celestine and sent to the Irish believers in Christ as their first bishop.[4]​Prosper associates this with the visits of Germanus of Auxerre to Britain to suppress the Pelagian heresy and it has been suggested that Palladius and his colleagues were sent to Ireland to ensure that exiled Pelagians did not establish themselves among the Irish Christians. The appointment of Palladius and his fellow-bishops was not obviously a mission to convert the Irish, but more probably intended to minister to existing Christian communities in Ireland.[5] The sites of churches associated with Palladius and his colleagues are close to royal centres of the period: Secundus is remembered by Dunshaughlin, County Meath, close to the Hill of Tara which is associated with the High King of Ireland; Kilashee, County Kildare, close to Naas with links with the Kings of Leinster, is probably named for Auxilius. This activity was limited to the southern half of Ireland, and there is no evidence for them in Ulster or Connacht.[6]
Although the evidence for contacts with Gaul is clear, the borrowings from Latin into the Old Irish language show that links with former Roman Britain were many.[7] Saint Iserninus, who appears to be of the generation of Palladius, is thought to have been a Briton, and is associated with the lands of the Uí Cheinnselaig in Leinster. The Palladian mission should not be contrasted with later "British" missions, but forms a part of them.[8]
Saint Patrick went under the gaelic second name of Daorbae (meaning - He was enslaved) so, he was known as Patricius Daorbae, during his Irish ministry.[9]

*Patrick in his own words*

 
Slemish, County Antrim, where Patrick is said to have worked as a herdsman while a slave.

Two Latin letters survive which are generally accepted to have been written by Patrick. These are the _Declaration_ (Latin: _Confessio_) and the _Letter to the soldiers of Coroticus_ (Latin: _Epistola_). The _Declaration_ is the more important of the two. In it Patrick gives a short account of his life and his mission.
Patrick was born at Banna Venta Berniae.[10] Calpornius, his father was a deacon, his grandfather Potitus a priest. When he was about sixteen, he was captured and carried off as a slave to Ireland.[11] Patrick worked as a herdsman, remaining a captive for six years. He writes that his faith grew in captivity, and that he prayed daily. After six years he heard a voice telling him that he would soon go home, and then that his ship was ready. Fleeing his master, he travelled to a port, two hundred miles away he says, where he found a ship and, after various adventures, returned home to his family, now in his early twenties.[12]
Patrick recounts that he had a vision a few years after returning home:
I saw a man coming, as it were from Ireland. His name was Victoricus, and he carried many letters, and he gave me one of them. I read the heading: "The Voice of the Irish". As I began the letter, I imagined in that moment that I heard the voice of those very people who were near the wood of Foclut, which is beside the western sea-and they cried out, as with one voice: "We appeal to you, holy servant boy, to come and walk among us.[13]​Much of the _Declaration_ concerns charges made against Patrick by his fellow Christians at a trial. What these charges were, he does not say explicitly, but he writes that he returned the gifts which wealthy women gave him, did not accept payment for baptisms, nor for ordaining priests, and indeed paid for many gifts to kings and judges, and paid for the sons of chiefs to accompany him. It is concluded, therefore, that he was accused of some sort of financial impropriety, and perhaps of having obtained his bishopric in Ireland with personal gain in mind.[14]
From this same evidence, something can be seen of Patrick's mission. He writes that he "baptised thousands of people". He ordained priests to lead the new Christian communities. He converted wealthy women, some of whom became nuns in the face of family opposition. He also dealt with the sons of kings, converting them too.[15]
Patrick's position as a foreigner in Ireland was not an easy one. His refusal to accept gifts from kings placed him outside the normal ties of kinship, fosterage and affinity. Legally he was without protection, and he says that he was on one occasion beaten, robbed of all he had, and put in chains, perhaps awaiting execution.[16]
Murchiú's life of Saint Patrick contains a supposed prophecy by the druids which gives an impression of how Patrick and other Christian missionaries were seen by those hostile to them:
Across the sea will come Adze-head,[17] crazed in the head,
his cloak with hole for the head, his stick bent in the head.
He will chant impieties from a table in the front of his house;
all his people will answer: "so be it, so be it."[18]​The second piece of evidence which comes from Patrick's life is the _Letter to Coroticus_ or _Letter to the Soldiers of Coroticus_. In this, Patrick writes an open letter announcing that he has excommunicated certain Brythonic warriors of Coroticus who have raided in Ireland, along with Picts and Irishmen, taking some of Patrick's converts into slavery. Coroticus, based largely on an 8th century gloss, is taken to be King Ceretic of Alt Clut.[19] It has been suggested that it was the sending of this letter which provoked the trial which Patrick mentions in the _Confession_.[20]
According to the latest reconstruction of the old Irish annals, Patrick died in AD 461, a date accepted by some modern historians.[21] Prior to the 1940s it was believed without doubt that he died in 420 and thus had lived in the first half of the 5th century.[22] A lecture entitled _"The Two Patricks"_, published in 1942 by T. F. O'Rahilly, caused enormous controversy by proposing that there had been two "Patricks", Palladius and Patrick, and that what we now know of St. Patrick was in fact in part a conscious effort to meld the two into one hagiographic personality. Decades of contention eventually ended with most historians now asserting that Patrick was indeed most likely to have been active in the mid-to-late 5th century.
While Patrick's own writings contain no dates, they do contain information which can be used to date them. Patrick's quotations from the Acts of the Apostles follow the Vulgate, strongly suggesting that his ecclesiastical conversion did not take place before the early fifth century. Patrick also refers to the Franks as being pagan. Their conversion is dated to the period 496-508.[23]
The compiler of the Annals of Ulster stated that in the year 553:
I have found this in the Book of Cuanu: The relics of Patrick were placed sixty years after his death in a shrine by Colum Cille. Three splendid halidoms were found in the burial-place: his goblet, the Angel's Gospel, and the Bell of the Testament. This is how the angel distributed the halidoms: the goblet to Dún, the Bell of the Testament to Ard Macha, and the Angel's Gospel to Colum Cille himself. The reason it is called the Angel's Gospel is that Colum Cille received it from the hand of the angel.[24]​ 
The reputed burial place of St. Patrick in Downpatrick

The placing of this event in the year 553 would certainly seem to place Patrick's death in 493, or at least in the early years of that decade, and indeed the Annals of Ulster report in 493:
Patrick, arch-apostle, or archbishop and apostle of the Irish, rested on the 16th of the Kalends of April in the 120th year of his age, in the 60th year after he had come to Ireland to baptize the Irish.​There is also the additional evidence of his disciple, Mochta, who died in 535.[25]
St. Patrick is said to be buried at Down Cathedral in Downpatrick, County Down, alongside St. Brigid and St. Columba, although this has never been proven. The Battle for the Body of St. Patrick demonstrates the importance of both him as a spiritual leader, and of his body as an object of veneration, in early Christian Ireland. Saint Patrick Visitor Centre is a modern exhibition complex located in Downpatrick and is a permanent interpretative exhibition centre featuring interactive displays on the life and story of Saint Patrick. It provides the only permanent exhibition centre in the world devoted to Saint Patrick.

*Early traditions*

An early document which is silent concerning Patrick is the letter of Columbanus to Pope Boniface IV of about 613. Columbanus writes that Ireland's Christianity "was first handed to us by you, the successors of the holy apostles", apparently referring to Palladius only, and ignoring Patrick.[26] Writing on the Easter controversy in 632 or 633, Cummian-it is uncertain whether this is the Cummian associated with Clonfert or Cumméne of Iona- does refer to Patrick, calling him _our papa_, that is pope or primate.[27]
Two works by late seventh century hagiographers of Patrick have survived. These are the writings of Tírechán, and _Vita sancti Patricii_ of Muirchu moccu Machtheni. Both writers relied upon an earlier work, now lost, the _Book of Ultán_.[28] This Ultán, probably the same person as Ultan of Ardbraccan, was Tírechán's foster-father. His obituary is given in the _Annals of Ulster_ under the year 657.[29] These works thus date from a century and a half after Patrick's death.
Tírechán writes
"I found four names for Patrick written in the book of Ultán, bishop of the tribe of Conchobar: holy _Magonus_ (that is, "famous"); _Succetus_ (that is, the god of war); _Patricius_ (that is, father of the citizens); _Cothirtiacus_ (because he served four houses of druids)."[30]​Muirchu records much the same information, adding that "[h]is mother was named Concessa."[31]
The Patrick portrayed by Tírechán and Muirchu is a martial figure, who contests with druids, overthrows pagan idols, and curses kings and kingdoms.[32] On occasions their accounts contradict Patrick's own writings: Tírechán states that Patrick accepted gifts from female converts although Patrick himself flatly denies this. However, the emphasis Tírechán and Muirchu placed on female converts, and in particular royal and noble women who became nuns, is thought to be a genuine insight into Patrick's work of conversion. Patrick also worked with the unfree and the poor, encouraging them to vows of monastic chastity. Tírechán's account suggests that many early Patrician churches were combined with nunneries founded by Patrick's noble female converts.[33]
The martial Patrick found in Tírechán and Muirchu, and in later accounts, echoes similar figures found during the conversion of the Roman Empire to Christianity. It may be doubted whether such accounts are an accurate representation of Patrick's time, although such violent events may well have occurred as Christians gained in strength and numbers.[34]
Much of the detail supplied by Tírechán and Muirchu, in particular the churches established by Patrick, and the monasteries founded by his converts, may relate to the situation in the seventh century, when the churches which claimed ties to Patrick, and in particular Armagh, were expanding their influence throughout Ireland in competition with the church of Kildare. In the same period, Wilfred, Archbishop of York, claimed to speak, as metropolitan archbishop, "for all the northern part of Britain and of Ireland" at a council held in Rome in the time of Pope Agatho, thus claiming jurisdiction over the Irish church.[35]
Other presumed early materials include the Irish annals, which contain records from the Chronicle of Ireland. These sources have conflated Palladius and Patrick.[36] Another early document is the so-called _First Synod of Saint Patrick_. This is a seventh century document, once, but no longer, taken as to contain a fifth century original text. It apparently collects the results of several early synods, and represents an era when pagans were still a major force in Ireland. The introduction attributes it to Patrick, Auxilius, and Iserninus, a claim which "cannot be taken at face value".[37]

*Patrick in legend*

 
The Shamrock

Pious legend credits Patrick with banishing snakes from the island, though all evidence suggests that post-glacial Ireland never had snakes;[38] one suggestion is that _snakes_ referred to the serpent symbolism of the Druids of that time and place, as shown for instance on coins minted in Gaul (see Carnutes), or that it could have referred to beliefs such as Pelagianism, symbolized as "serpents".[_citation needed_][_when?_] Legend also credits Patrick with teaching the Irish about the concept of the Trinity by showing people the shamrock, a 3-leaved clover, using it to highlight the Christian belief of 'three divine persons in the one God' (as opposed to the Arian belief that was popular in Patrick's time).[_when?_]
Some Irish legends involve the Oilliphéist, the Caoránach, and the Copóg Phádraig. During his evangelising journey back to Ireland from his parent's home at Birdoswald, he is understood to have carried with him an ash wood walking stick or staff. He thrust this stick into the ground wherever he was evangelising and at the place now known as Aspatria (ash of Patrick) the message of the dogma took so long to get through to the people there that the stick had taken root by the time he was ready to move on. The 12th century work _Acallam na Senórach_ tells of Patrick being met by two ancient warriors, Caílte mac Rónáin and Oisín, during his evangelical travels. The two were once members of Fionn mac Cumhaill's warrior band the Fianna, and somehow survived to Patrick's time. They traveled with the saint and told him their stories.

*Missionary Legacy*

As one of the earliest Christian missionaries traveling abroad to spread the Christian faith, Saint Patrick is important because he serves as a testament to the overall missionary legacy of the Church. His example afforded later Christian missionaries the opportunity to assess the best methods to employ when confronting pagan groups abroad. Perhaps the most significant aspect of Saint Patrick's missionary efforts in Ireland was that he transcended the boundary between Church hierarchy and prominent Church Fathers in terms of the viability of missionary pursuits. Saint Patrick proved that any Christian could live out the Scriptural commandment to spread the word of God while "exalting and confessing his wonders before all the nations that are under the heavens."[39] Patrick's example would inspire later missionaries to undertake great missions to evangelize abroad in later years.

*Methods for Conversion*

Surely Saint Patrick openly preached the gospel message while among the Picts and Irish peoples, but that method does not alone account for conversions to Christianity. In terms of numbers, Patrick himself suggested that he baptized and converted "many thousands," to the faith. It is true that Patrick had some success converting the sons and daughters of Irish Kings to Christianity, but actual figures of the numbers of converts among the entirety of the Irish population remain unknown. There is no solid mention of him teaching the catechism of the Church to new believers, so there is little evidence to suggest that the new converts maintained the Christian faith without a foundation in doctrinal teachings. It was quite possible that converts reverted back to their traditional pagan beliefs, especially without any clear support from Church leaders on the European mainland.
One way for Saint Patrick to ensure success for evangelizing opportunities while among the Irish was to live in solidarity with those whom he was trying to convert. Approaching the Irish as an equal while showing no pretense of superiority allowed the Irish to become more receptive of Christian teachings. In fact, Patrick himself avowed in his Confession that he "sold this nobility of [his],"[40] to enhance the commonality between himself and his Irish audience.
Although he may not have been as well versed in the teachings of the Church as other missionaries, Saint Patrick did understand the basic tenets of the Christian faith. Yet, Saint Patrick seemed to be haunted by his lack of education, and claimed that evangelizing among the Irish "revealed his lack of learning," according to his own Confession. Limited education would prove to be an obstacle for Patrick, and considering that "every word [he] spoke had to be translated into a foreign tongue,"[41] communicating with the pagans in Ireland became a daunting task.
A complete lack of adequate translators hindered Saint Patrick's attempts to explain the Gospel message and herald his message of the dogma of Jesus Christ. In fact, later Christian missionaries aware of the challenges faced by Patrick would ensure that a sufficient knowledge of foreign languages was known before embarking on missions abroad. Jesuit missionaries in later years would pay particular attention to the details of languages while traveling in Asia and North America.
Saint Patrick was able to preach and lead significantly by example, so when Bishops in Europe accused Patrick of various unknown charges, his reputation inevitably suffered among the Picts and Irish people. As a result it can be assumed that progress being made in gaining favor among the people would have diminished considering Saint Patrick's authority as Bishop in Ireland became challenged. Overall, his mission to Ireland cannot be determined as successful or not in the missionary sense due to the limited knowledge we have concerning his life there. It can be assumed that the immensity of the challenges facing Saint Patrick would have made any significant change to the religious landscape of Ireland difficult.

*Sainthood and remembrance*

March 17, popularly known as St. Patrick's Day, is believed to be his death date and is the date celebrated as his feast day. The day 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 [42] in the early part of the 17th century.
For most of Christianity's first thousand years, canonisations were done on the diocesan or regional level. Relatively soon after the death of people considered to be very holy people, the local Church affirmed that they could be liturgically celebrated as saints. As a result, St. Patrick has never been formally canonised by a Pope; nevertheless, various Christian churches declare that he is a Saint in Heaven (he is in the List of Saints). He is still widely venerated in Ireland and elsewhere today.[43]
St. Patrick is also venerated in the Orthodox Church, especially among English-speaking Orthodox Christians living in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland and in North America[44]. There are Orthodox icons dedicated to him.[45]
On March 17, 1776, the day that British forces under General Sir William Howe evacuated Boston during the American Revolutionary War, the password of the day at General George Washington's Continental Army encampment was "Saint Patrick". The date is observed as Evacuation Day, an official holiday in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, USA. Massachusetts has the most Irish ancestry of the United States in terms of percentage of total population.


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## MCADPD24 (Nov 7, 2008)

happy st patty's day irish. I promise I wont drink to much


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## KozmoKramer (Apr 25, 2004)

*I cant make that promise MCADPD... *


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## Nuke_TRT (Feb 10, 2008)

Pass me a Black and Tan Koz; 48 hours and counting.


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## KozmoKramer (Apr 25, 2004)

It would be my great pleasure Nukah...
It's the KK life-force.... Lotsa B-vitamins....


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## MCADPD24 (Nov 7, 2008)

Hey I have that day off. huh. Let pahty like it's 1918


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## KozmoKramer (Apr 25, 2004)

I think Irish Wampanoag created this "Happy St. Patrick's Day" thread as a lighthearted way for us to express our cheers, songs, parade memories, drinking exploits, etc., not a geopolitical commentary on the troubles in Ireland.

Bruce it entitled to his opinion, as are all of our members, so I am splitting this thread into 2 parts.
Irish's, which is simply to share our American, more so Boston celebratory comments, jokes, what have you and Deltas in which you can partake in discussion of the disharmony between the Northern Irish and the Republic of Ireland.

I think taking this approach affords those of us that simply want to have an enjoyable discussion of St. Patrick's Day and those of us who wish to seriously discuss the problems of Ireland.


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## kwflatbed (Dec 29, 2004)




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## OfficerObie59 (Sep 14, 2007)

LawMan3 said:


>


I always thought black and tans were disliked by the Irish:
"Indeed the drink has image problems in parts of Ireland and elsewhere due to the association with the Royal Irish Constabulary Reserve Force which was sent into Ireland by British Secretary of State for War Winston Churchill during the Lloyd George premiership in the early 1920s and nicknamed the Black and Tans. "


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## Chief Wiggins (Oct 16, 2006)

Never took a liking to black and tan's prefer my Guinness straight up. It's great in the morning, esp. when just getting off. Corned beef and cabbage, mmmmm seconds please then pass me the Beano because by the end of the night I will have a PhD in flatulence. Can't wait to hear the wife go uugghh gross.


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## Irish Wampanoag (Apr 6, 2003)

The other forgotten patron saint of Ireland "*Saint Brigid"*

I better stop the Irish catholic trivia or some people on this site will accuse me of supporting the Christan Crusade let alone the IRA P:

*Saint Brigid of Kildare* or *Brigid of Ireland* (Brigit, Bridget, Bridgit, Bríd or Bride) (Irish: _Naomh Bhríde_) (c. 451 - 525) was an Irish Roman Catholic nun, abbess, and founder of several convents who is venerated as a saint. She is considered one of Ireland's patron saints along with Saints Patrick and Columba. Her feast day is February 1, the traditional first day of spring in Ireland.
*Contents*

[hide]

1 Biography
1.1 Early life
1.2 Sainthood
1.3 Death and impact
1.4 Saint Brigid's Cross

2 Connection with pagan Brigid
3 Extended biography
4 See also
5 References
6 External links 
6.1 Saint Brigid's cross
6.2 Legends about Saint Brigid

*[edit] Biography*

*[edit] Early life*

As with many ancient saints the biography of Brigid of Kildare has been complicated by the passage of time. Much change has occurred within the corpus of information which now exists. Often the lines between oral tradition, written tradition and new revelation have become hard to distinguish. The earliest extensive life of Brigid is the _Vita Brigitae_ of Cogitosus and is thought to have been written no later than 650.[2]
According to tradition, Brigid was born at Faughart near Dundalk, County Louth, Ireland. Because of the legendary quality of the earliest accounts of her life, there is much debate among many scholars and even faithful Christians as to the authenticity of her biographies. According to her biographers her parents were Dubhthach, a pagan chieftain of Leinster, and Brocca, a Christian Pict who had been baptized by Saint Patrick. Some accounts of her life suggested that Brigid's mother was in fact from Lusitania, kidnapped by Irish pirates and brought to Ireland to work as a slave in much the same way as Patrick. Brigid was given the same name as one of the most powerful goddesses of the pagan religion which her father Dubhthach practiced; Brigid was the goddess of fire, whose manifestations were song, craftsmanship, and poetry, which the Irish considered the flame of knowledge.

*[edit] Sainthood*

Whether she was raised a Christian or converted in 468, as some accounts say, is unknown, but she was inspired by the preaching of Saint Patrick from an early age. Despite her father's opposition she was determined to enter religious life. Numerous stories testify to her piety. She had a generous heart and could never refuse the poor who came to her father's door. Her charity angered her father: he thought she was being overly generous to the poor and needy when she dispensed his milk and flour to all and sundry. When she finally gave away his jewel-encrusted sword to a leper, Dubhthach realized that perhaps her disposition was best suited to the life of a nun. *Brigid* finally got her wish and she was sent to a convent.
 
"La chapelle Sainte-Brigide" in Fosses-la-Ville.

Brigid received the veil from Saint Mel and professed vows dedicating her life to Christ. From this point biographers heap stories and legends on Brigid. She is believed to have founded a convent in Clara, County Offaly - her first: other foundations followed. But it was to be in Kildare that her major foundation would emerge. Around 470 she founded Kildare Abbey, a double monastery, for nuns and monks, on the plains of _Cill-Dara_, "the church of the oak", her cell being made under a large oak tree. As Abbess of this foundation she wielded considerable power. Legends surround her, even her blessing as Abbess by Saint Mel has a story attached to it. According to the legend, the elderly bishop, as he was blessing her during the ceremony, inadvertently read the rite of consecration of a bishop and this could not be rescinded, under any circumstances. Brigid and her successor Abbesses at Kildare had an administrative authority equal to that of a Bishop until the Synod of Kells in 1152.
Brigid was famous for her common-sense and most of all for her holiness: in her lifetime she was regarded as a saint. Kildare Abbey became one of the most prestigious monasteries in Ireland, famed throughout Christian Europe. In the scriptorium of the monastery, for example, the lost illuminated manuscript the Book of Kildare may have been created - if it was not the existing Book of Kells, as many suppose.[3]

*[edit] Death and impact*

She died at Kildare around 525 and was buried in a tomb before the high altar of her abbey church. After some time her remains were exhumed and transported to Downpatrick to rest with the two other patron saints of Ireland, Patrick and Columba (Colmcille). Her skull was extracted and brought to Igreja de São João Baptista (Lumiar) Lisbon, Portugal by three Irish noblemen, where it remains. There is widespread devotion to her in Ireland where she is known as the "Mary of the Gael" and her cult was brought to Europe by Irish missionaries, such as Foillan, in the centuries after her death. In Belgium there is a chapel (7th-10th century) dedicated to Sainte-Brigide at Fosses-la-Ville and Saint Brigid is the patron saint of the Dutch city of Ommen.

*[edit] Saint Brigid's Cross*

_Main article: Brigid's cross_
 
Saint Brigid's Cross or _Crosóg Bhríde_.

Legend has it she made the cross from rushes she found on the ground beside a dying man in order to convert him. It is interesting that this legend does not appear in any of the oldest sources and to this day its origin remains lost in the oral tradition.[2] It remains the custom in many houses in Ireland to have a Saint Brigid's Cross in honour of the saint. The cross takes many forms and is technically classed by folk crafts experts as a "'plaited corn dolly", although the technologies utilized can extend beyond plaiting to weaving and other forms. Many of these forms such as that of the "God's eye" appear in other cultural contexts.[2] According to tradition a new cross is made each Saint Brigid's Day (February 1), and the old one is burned to keep fire from the house, yet customs vary by locality, and family. Many homes have multiple crosses preserved in the ceiling the oldest blackened by many years of hearth fires. Some believe that keeping a cross in the ceiling or roof is a good way to preserve the home from fire which was always a major threat in houses with thatch and wood roofs.[2]

*[edit] Connection with pagan Brigid*

That she shares both her name and her feast day with those of the earlier pagan goddess Brigid may indicate that Saint Brigid is partially or entirely a fictional creation based on the pagan figure in order to convert Celts to Christianity; the euhemerization of pagan figures and tradition was a common practice of Christian missionaries. However she may merely have been named after her. Given the struggle Christian missionaries faced in their efforts to preach the Gospel in Ireland, even though they Christianized some elements, the adoption of a pagan goddess into the Communion of Saints may have been an effort to Christianize one of the most enduring pagan goddesses. Brigid the goddess was an oracle and was celebrated as the predictor of the growing season's success. Her day, Feb 2, was thus converted to Groundhog Day as a day of prediction for the length of winter and the coming of spring. In Ireland there is an early struggle with the continued celebration of Groundhog Day, given its pagan origins. Brigid is also celebrated as a time when the growing sun must be encouraged throughout the coldest of winter months. Brigid or Imbolc is the pagan holiday for this celebration among pagans and is marked with the making and burning of candles to symbolize this important process. In Christian traditions the day called Candlemas, was added to the calendar to coincide with Brigid and is the day of purification of the Virgin Mary, marked with a candlelight ceremony.
Evidence for a political function of the stories comes from detailed political analysis which demonstrates that they have been created or at least manipulated to document the power of Kildare over surrounding regions.[2]

*[edit] Extended biography*

Differing biographies written by different authors, give conflicting accounts of her life, however three of those biographies agreed that she had a slave mother in the court of her father, Dubhthach, a king of Leinster. Perhaps the most ancient account of her life is by Saint Broccan Cloen:
Ni bu Sanct Brigid suanach
Ni bu huarach im sheirc Dé,
Sech ni chiuir ni cossena
Ind nóeb dibad bethath che.
​Saint Brigid was not given to sleep,
Nor was she intermittent about God's love;
Not merely that she did not buy, she did not seek for
The wealth of this world below, the holy one.
​One, the "Life of Brigid" dates from the closing years of the eighth century, and is held in the Dominican friary at Eichstatt in Bavaria. It expounds the metrical life of Saint Brigid, and versified it in Latin. The earliest Latin "life" of Brigid was a short vignette composed by Colman nepos Cracavist around 800.
Although Saint Brigid was "veiled" or received by Saint Maughold (Macaille), at Croghan, it is far more possible that she took her vows from Saint Mel of Ardagh, who also granted her abbatial powers. She followed Saint Mel into the kingdom of Teathbha which is made up of sections of modern Meath, Westmeath and Longford. This occurred about 468. Brigid is known for being the only bishop of the early church. It is said that upon receiving her vows Saint Mel was inspired by God to make her a bishop.[2]
Brigid's small oratory at Cill-Dara (Kildare) became a centre of religion and learning, and developed into a cathedral city. She founded two monastic institutions, one for men, and the other for women, and appointed Saint Conleth as spiritual pastor of them. It has been frequently stated that she gave canonical jurisdiction to Saint Conleth, Bishop of Kildare, but, as Archbishop Healy points out, she simply "selected the person to whom the Church gave this jurisdiction", and her biographer tells us distinctly that she chose Saint Conleth "to govern the church along with herself". Thus, for centuries, Kildare was ruled by a double line of abbot-bishops and of abbesses, the Abbess of Kildare being regarded as superioress general of the convents in Ireland.
Brigid also founded a school of art, including metal work and illumination, over which Conleth presided. The Kildare scriptorium produced the Book of Kildare, which elicited high praise from Giraldus Cambrensis, but which has disappeared since the Reformation. According to Giraldus, nothing that he had ever seen was at all comparable to the book, every page of which was gorgeously illuminated, and he concludes by saying that the interlaced work and the harmony of the colours left the impression that "all this is the work of angelic, and not human skill".
Brigid is at times known as "the Patroness of Ireland" and "Queen of the South: the Mary of the Gael" by a writer in the "Leabhar Breac". Brigid died leaving a cathedral city and school that became famous all over Europe. In her honour Saint Ultan of Ardbraccan wrote a hymn commencing:
Christus in nostra insula
Que vocatur Hibernia
Ostensus est hominibus
Maximis mirabilibus
Que perfecit per felicem
Celestis vite virginem
Precellentem pro merito
Magno in numdi circulo.
​Christ was made known to men
On our island of Hibernia
by the very great miracles
which he performed
through the happy virgin of celestial life,
famous for her merits
through the whole world.​The sixth life of the saint is attributed to Coelan, an Irish monk of the eighth century, and it derives a peculiar importance from the fact that it is prefaced by Saint Donatus, also an Irish monk, who became Bishop of Fiesole in 824. Donatus refers to previous lives by Ultan and Aileran. When dying, Brigid was attended by Saint Ninnidh, who was afterwards known as "Ninnidh of the Clean Hand" because he had his right hand encased with a metal covering to prevent it ever being defiled, after being the medium of administering the last rites to "Ireland's Patroness".
Brigid was interred at the right of the high altar of Kildare Cathedral, and a costly tomb was erected over her. Over the years her shrine became an object of veneration for pilgrims, especially on her feast day, February 1. About the year 878, owing to the Scandinavian raids, Brigid's relics were taken to Downpatrick, where they were interred in the tomb of Patrick and Columba. The relics of the three saints were discovered in 1185, and on June 9 of the following year were reinterred in Downpatrick Cathedral.
Various Continental breviaries of the pre-Reformation period commemorate Brigid, and her name is included in a litany in the Stowe Missal. In Ireland today, after 1500 years, "Mary of the Gael" remains a popular saint, and Brigid remains a common female Christian name. Moreover, hundreds of place-names in her honour are to be found all over both Scotland and Ireland, e.g. East Kilbride, Kilbride, Brideswell, Tubberbride, Templebride, etc. Places named Brideswell and Tupperbride commemorate in their names the presence of a sacred well ("Tobar" in Gaelic) dedicated to Brigid or her pre-Christian antecedent. Brigid's hand is preserved at Lumiar near Lisbon, Portugal, since 1587, and another relic is at St. Martin's Cologne.
As to the historical Brigid, it seems that Faughart was the scene of her birth. Faughart Church was founded by Saint Moninne in honour of Brigid. The old well of Brigid's adjoining the ruined church still attracts pilgrims. There is evidence in the _Trias Thaumaturga_ for Brigid's stay in Connacht, especially in County Roscommon and also in the many churches founded by her in the Diocese of Elphim. Her friendship with Saint Patrick is attested by the following paragraph from the Book of Armagh: "inter sanctum Patricium Brigitanque Hibernesium columpnas amicitia caritatis inerat tanta, ut unum cor consiliumque haberent unum. Christus per illum illamque virtutes multas peregit". (Between Patrick and Brigid, the columns of the Irish, there was so great a friendship of charity that they had but one heart and one mind. Through him and through her Christ performed many miracles.) At Armagh there was a "Templum Brigidis"; namely the little abbey church known as "Regles Brigid", which contained some relics of the saint, destroyed in 1179, by William Fitz Aldelm.
In addition, Brigid is highly venerated by many Orthodox Christians as one of the great Western saints prior to the schism between the Eastern and Western Churches. Her feastday, as in the West, is February 1, although churches following the Julian calendar (as in many Orthodox countries) celebrate her feast on February 14, the corresponding date on the Julian calendar. The troparion to her is in Tone 1:
O holy Brigid, thou didst become sublime through thy humility, and didst fly on the wings of thy longing for God. When thou didst arrive in the Eternal City and appear before thy Divine Spouse, wearing the crown of virginity, thou didst keep thy promise to remember those who have recourse to thee. Thou dost shower grace upon the world, and dost multiply miracles. Intercede with Christ our God that He may save our souls.​The corresponding kontakion is in Tone 4:
The holy virgin Brigid full of divine wisdom, went with joy along the way of evangelical childhood, and with the grace of God attained in this way the summit of virtue. Wherefore she now bestows blessings upon those who come to her with faith. O holy Virgin, intercede with Christ our God that He may have mercy on our souls.
​*Koz writes*
I think Irish Wampanoag created this "Happy St. Patrick's Day" thread as a lighthearted way for us to express our cheers, songs, parade memories, drinking exploits, etc., not a geopolitical commentary on the troubles in Ireland.

Bruce it entitled to his opinion, as are all of our members, so I am splitting this thread into 2 parts.
Irish's, which is simply to share our American, more so Boston celebratory comments, jokes, what have you and Deltas in which you can partake in discussion of the disharmony between the Northern Irish and the Republic of Ireland.

I think taking this approach affords those of us that simply want to have an enjoyable discussion of St. Patrick's Day and those of us who wish to seriously discuss the problems of Ireland.

I appreciate your post Koz, I refuse to get in it with some folks on this site because they are either way too stress out about a innocent posting that they decided to make it some how political and personal. I feel real sorry for these folks because like I have said before they will die of heart failure as most cops will some faster then others. Again thank you, Like AC/DC says have a drink on me!!!

Happy Saint Patrick's Day Everyone!!! Remember everyone is Irish on Saint Patrick's Day.


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## KozmoKramer (Apr 25, 2004)

*Re: St. Patrick's Day breakfast video*

If anyone comes across a video of St. Patrick's Day breakfast, can you put it up please?

I know it's on one of the Comcast channels, but I have Dish Network and can't find it anywhere.
Might be on NECN now, but the vid should be available shortly thereafter it's end.

It's always amusing to watch 20 bloated phonies sing like a beagle in a bear trap, mug for the camera and pretend to laugh at each others digs.


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## kwflatbed (Dec 29, 2004)

All I could find was 2005

St. Patrick's Day Breakfast Features Roast Of Governor Patrick - AOL Video

Live on WRKO radio

http://www.wrko.com/pages/1786088.php?contentType=4&contentId=1685628


















*FINNERAN'S FORUM AT THE ANNUAL ST. PATRICK'S DAY BREAKFAST

AM 680 WRKO will be the only radio destination for complete coverage of the annual St. Patrick's Day Breakfast. WRKO's coverage will begin on Sunday March 16 at 8 a.m. with a special edition of Finneran's Forum live from the Boston Convention Center, site of the this year's breakfast!*
*Tune into Tom Finneran from 8a-10a for a two hour pre-show with special guest such as Congressman Stephen Lynch, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, Lieutenant Governor Timothy Murray, Senate President Therese Murray ,Speaker Salvatore DiMasi and many more special guest. Also scheduled to appear are Representative Brian Wallace, City Council President Maureen Feeney, Councilors Michael Flaherty and Bill Linehan.

Stay locked into WRKO at 10 a.m. for the simulcast of the breakfast in its entirety!*
**​


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## fra444 (Nov 23, 2008)

The only, "Irish" drinks, (note the quotation marks please) that I drink are Jameson's Irish Whiskey, and Irish Car Bombs!! LOVE the car bombs! They sneak right up on ya!

And yes I am aware that its a poor choice in names for a drink but Damn It! it just aint my fault!


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## kttref (Oct 5, 2004)

Holy crap....St. Patrick lived to be 120!


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## kwflatbed (Dec 29, 2004)

*Economy Butt Of Jokes At St. Paddy's Day Breakfast*









Gov. Deval Patrick sings the "Gas Tax Lament" at Sunday's St. Patrick's Day breakfast. 
WBZ

BOSTON (AP) ― Gov. Deval Patrick belted out an Irish folk song he dubbed the "Gas Tax Lament" as jokes about dealing with the struggling economy took center stage at South Boston's St. Patrick's Day breakfast.

About 800 people gathered Sunday at the Boston Exhibition and Convention Center for the annual political event.

Patrick's tune took aim at his Republican predecessors and the financial crisis at the MBTA. Other lawmakers roasted the governor for his 19-cent per gallon gas tax proposal.

Patrick was making his first public appearance since returning from vacation in Jamaica. That prompted the host of the breakfast, Sen. Jack Hart, to joke the governor had changed his slogan from "Together We Can" to "Don't worry, be happy." 

Economy Butt Of Jokes At St. Patrick's Day Breakfast In South Boston - wbztv.com


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## fra444 (Nov 23, 2008)

kwflatbed said:


> *Economy Butt Of Jokes At St. Paddy's Day Breakfast*


 The true JOKE of any day!!!!:fu2:


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## Hawk19 (Jan 9, 2009)

My favorite St. Patrick's Day was about 3 years ago, had a great time at a bar crawl near the New York Harbor.


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## O-302 (Jan 1, 2006)

Happy St. Patrick's Day!


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## BLUE BLOOD (Aug 31, 2008)

Holy shit! This thread turned out to be a tribute to St. Pats day in true hibernian fashion, all the ear marks of a drunken brawl outside of the Black rose, literary beer bottles broken over heads, verbal bitch slaps exchanged, emotional references to the old country and in the end apologies and wet embraces with the daunting threats to fight on another day! In an ironic twist the thread seperated into two independant entities much like The Republic and Northern Ireland, we can only hope the thread may soon join together again in a gesture of reconciliation and peace. 
Lastly I cannot be certain but the posts may or may not have been influenced by a brown/amber like liquid, I for one will admit to having a few on board during the thread revolt.


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## fra444 (Nov 23, 2008)

BLUE BLOOD said:


> Holy shit! This thread turned out to be a tribute to St. Pats day in true hibernian fashion, all the ear marks of a drunken brawl outside of the Black rose, literary beer bottles broken over heads, verbal bitch slaps exchanged, emotional references to the old country and in the end apologies and wet embraces with the daunting threats to fight on another day! In an ironic twist the thread seperated into two independant entities much like The Republic and Northern Ireland, we can only hope the thread may soon join together again in a gesture of reconciliation and peace.
> Lastly I cannot be certain but the posts may or may not have been influenced by a brown/amber like liquid, I for one will admit to having a few on board during the thread revolt.


 So my friends what BB is trying to say without using as many words as he did, "This ended up being a typical MassCops thread!"


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## Cinderella (Jun 17, 2005)




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## Irish Wampanoag (Apr 6, 2003)

Happy Saint Patrick's Day

Last Factoid:

*The Original Irish Flag* 17th century to 1922










This is the current Irish Flag. Green represents the South of Ireland the Orange/Gold represents the North and the White represents the peace seeked between the two...


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## fra444 (Nov 23, 2008)

Irish Wampanoag said:


> This is the current Irish Flag. Green represents the South of Ireland the Orange/Gold represents the North and the White represents the peace seeked between the two...


I had no idea! Thanks for the info Irish!


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