Saint Patrick was a fifth-century Romano-British Christian missionary and bishop in Ireland. Known as the "Apostle of Ireland", he is the primary patron saint of Ireland, the other patron saints being Brigid of Kildare and Columba. He is also the patron saint of Nigeria. Patrick is venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church, the Church of Ireland (part of the Anglican Communion), Lutheranism, and Two works by late seventh-century hagiographers of Patrick have survived. These are the Vita sancti Patricii of Muirchú moccu Machtheni and the writings of Tírechán. Both writers relied upon an earlier work, now lost, the Book of Ultán. 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. These works thus date from a century and a half after Patrick's death. The Patrick portrayed by Tírechán and Muirchu is a martial figure, who contests with druids, overthrows pagan idols, and curses kings and kingdoms. On occasion, 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. 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. Much of the detail supplied by Two works by late seventh-century hagiographers of Patrick have survived. These are the Vita sancti Patricii of Muirchú moccu Machtheni and the writings of Tírechán. Both writers relied upon an earlier work, now lost, the Book of Ultán. 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. These works thus date from a century and a half after Patrick's death. The Patrick portrayed by Tírechán and Muirchu is a martial figure, who contests with druids, overthrows pagan idols, and curses kings and kingdoms. On occasion, 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. 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. 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. Muirchú'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: Both Muirchú and Tírechán say that Patrick contended with Lóegaire mac Néill, the king of Tara. Muirchú includes a famous story that Patrick lit a Paschal (Easter) fire on the Hill of Slane, in defiance of the king. The story says that the fire could not be doused by anyone but Patrick. Other presumed early materials include the Irish annals, which contain records from the Chronicle of Ireland. These sources have conflated Palladius and Patrick. 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." Legend credits Patrick with teaching the Irish about the doctrine of the Holy Trinity by showing people the shamrock, a three-leafed plant, using it to illustrate the Christian teaching of three persons in one God. The earliest written version of the story is given by the botanist Caleb Threlkeld in his 1726 Synopsis stirpium Hibernicarum, but the earliest surviving records associating Patrick with the plant are coins depicting Patrick clutching a shamrock which were minted in the 1680s. In pagan Ireland, three was a significant number and the Irish had many triple deities, a fact that may have aided Patrick in his evangelisation efforts when he "held up a shamrock and discoursed on the Christian Trinity". Patricia Monaghan says there is

I Brave Old St Patrick Millions Honor Him Today Fifteen hundred and twenty years ago the young Saint Patrick carried to Ireland as a slave in a raid made by the Irish King Niall Noigiallach was herding swine on the lands of Chief Milchu near the MountainBlemish in County Antrim taxing good care of his pigs and wondering how he could evape to do worthier and more important work He fled to the Wicklow coast and was taken on board a halfpirate vessel engaged in the trade of savage Irish wolf dogs sold to equally savage French nobles for use in the chase Can you imagine anything more wild than that voyage ona small sailing vessel across the Irish sea with the howling of wc dogs and the carousing of the savage sailors sounding in wie young lads ears But Patrick whose WelchGaelic name Hygad means war like was no timid person That he proved when he braved the barbarous wild Irish King on his own hill of Tara and on many another occasion landed in France young Patrick entered the monastery of 1 ins where he studied hard always planning a return to Ireland where he felt his work

Crom Cruach (Old Irish: Cromm Crúaich [kɾom ˈkɾuːa̯xʲ]) was a pagan god of pre-Christian Ireland. According to Christian writers, he was propitiated with Crom Cruach (Old Irish: Cromm Crúaich [kɾom ˈkɾuːa̯xʲ]) was a pagan god of pre-Christian Ireland. According to Christian writers, he was propitiated with human sacrifice and his worship was ended by Saint Patrick. He is also referred to as Crom Cróich, Cenn Cruach/Cróich ([kʲen̪ː ˈkɾuːa̯x]) and Cenncroithi ([kʲen̪ː ˈkɾoθʲi]). He is related to the later mythological and folkloric figure Crom Dubh. C… Crom Cruach (Old Irish: Cromm Crúaich [kɾom ˈkɾuːa̯xʲ]) was a pagan god of pre-Christian Ireland. According to Christian writers, he was propitiated with human sacrifice and his worship was ended by Saint Patrick. He is also referred to as Crom Cróich, Cenn Cruach/Cróich ([kʲen̪ː ˈkɾuːa̯x]) and Cenncroithi ([kʲen̪ː ˈkɾoθʲi]). He is related to the later mythological and folkloric figure Crom Dubh. The references in a dinnsenchas ("place-lore") poem in the 12th century to sacrifice in exchange for milk and grain suggest that Crom had a function as a fertility god. The description of his image as a gold figure surrounded by twelve stone or bronze figures has been interpreted by some as representing the sun surrounded by the signs of the zodiac, suggesting a function as a solar deity.