IRELAND
Part 3
SAINT
PATRICK
SAINT
PATRICK
Saint Patrick is the
Patron Saint of Ireland along with
Saints Brigit and Columba.
He is known
as the
"Apostle of Ireland”
Saint Patrick was a Christian missionary and bishop in Ireland during the second half of the fifth century.
When he was about 16, he was captured from his home
in Great Britain by Irish Pirates, and taken as a slave to Ireland.
He lived in Ireland for six years, where he had to work
as a shepherd on a farm.
When he was twenty-two,
he could escape and returned
to his familyin Great Britain
He learned about God from monks in a french monastery.
After becoming a cleric, he returned to northern and western Ireland.
In 432 he went
back to Ireland to teach the Irish
about God.
The Irish kings listened to himand he built an important
church in ARMAGH.
A hundred years later, Ireland was one of the most important
Christian countries in Europe,
With beautiful churches and monasteries everywhere.
The Book of Kells
Irish writers wrote famous, important books like
the Book of Kells.
Today one can see
the Book of Kells in Dublin.
In many
Irish churches
there are
pictures of
Saint Patrick.
By the seventh century, he had already come to be considered
as the patron saint of Ireland.
Another Irish churchman,
called Brendan, sailed to Scotland, Iceland, Greenland, and America
in a small leather boat.
Some people said that this
was not possible, but in 1976
an Englishman,
Tim Severin, built a leather boat
called Brendan.
With this leather boat called
Brendan he sailed from Ireland to Iceland and America.
One can see the Brendan at Craggaunowen in County Clare
in the West or Ireland.
IRELAND
End of
part 3
SAINT
PATRICK