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E-mailIrish travel: Follow the footsteps of St. Patrick around Ireland
It's almost March 17th – and another St. Patrick's Day! Although this happy day is celebrated all around the world, many people do not even know who Saint Patrick was or why we honor him. Believe me, it has nothing to do with green beer or corned beef and cabbage.
For starters, Patrick was a 5th century Christian missionary who did his greatest work in Ireland. As he sought to convert the pagan natives to Christianity, this roving cleric left his mark (and his name) on many places, such as Ardpatrick, Downpatrick, Croagh Patrick, Patrick’s Well, Patrickstown Hill, and a Patrick Street in every city, not to mention hundreds of churches and cathedrals. If there were travel agents in early Ireland, Patrick must have been a star customer.
It’s all quite remarkable, considering that he traversed the length and breadth of the land without benefit of the Internet, airplanes, trains, cars, buses, or even a few friendly pubs. No wonder the best itineraries of Ireland today still follow in Patrick’s footsteps.
As he evangelized, Patrick seems to have sought scenic locales. His adventurous visits to County Meath are legendary, first ascending the Hill of Slane to light the paschal flame, and then climbing the Hill of Tara to convert the High King of Ireland, as thousands of local folk gathered in the surrounding valleys.
Plucking a shamrock from the ground to illustrate the doctrine of the Trinity, Patrick not only won over the king and the crowd, but he also gave that simple three-leaf clover eternal life as the universal symbol of Ireland and the Irish.
Patrick’s appearance at the Rock of Cashel in County Tipperary further attests to his fondness for panoramic heights, while he seemed equally happy on the water as he paddled out to spend 40 days doing penance on an island in Lough Derg in County Donegal, a custom that is imitated to this day by visitors and locals seeking religious solitude.
Decidedly at home amidst the bustle of Ireland’s cities as well, Patrick is said to have preached widely in Dublin in 448 especially in the area where St. Patrick’s Cathedral stands today, beside a holy well said to have been used by Patrick to baptize. Two souvenirs from his travels – a small hand bell and an ancient reliquary – are on display at the National Museum.
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