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