St. Patty's Day - A Poem by My Daughter

Saint Patrick was a christian missionary that brought Christianity to Ireland. He is recognized as the Patron Saint of Ireland.

If you don't know the legend behind St. Patrick, this is what Wikipedia has to say:

"Pious legend credits Patrick with banishing snakes from the island, though all evidence suggests that post-glacial Ireland never had snakes;^[42] 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 evangelizing 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 evangelizing 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^"

My mother born and raised in Northern Ireland during the "Troubles" She has many stories to tell as does her 13 brothers and sisters! A huge Irish influnce was instilled in myself and kids growing up. Here is a poem by Brittany!

Why there are no snakes in Ireland

My grandmother was driven out of Ireland by love

and told the story of Saint Patrick:

"Poor fool, stolen and enslaved

forced from Wales and back again.

Claimed to hear god's voice in his head.

Oh and he converted all those little pagans too,

in their queer wee little huts,

(Oh and their poor wains were like Biafrans--nothin' to them)

and all with a shamrock, you see.

He's a wile lookin' lad though,

Or so they say.

Or so me granny says.

And her granny said too.

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, if your Mammy heard you talkin' like that:

is what they'd say if you didn't believe in St. Patrick.

Never mind you, that Ireland is an island!

There's no snakes cause he drove them out with his staff." by Brittany Hailer

*wains-children

*Biafrans- Natives of Biafra

*Wile-ugly