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St. Patrick is the Patron Saint of Ireland and is known for having spread Christianity in Ireland. He was born about 373 A.D. but not in Ireland! He was actually born in either Scotland or Roman England to relatively wealthy parents.
Around the age of sixteen, his parents' estate found itself under attack from Irish raiders who took Patrick prisoner and transported him to Ireland where he spent about six years in enslaved, mainly working as a shepherd. It was during this time captivity that he became a devout Christian and perhaps, began to dream of converting the Irish pagans to Christianity.
Some time after he was ordained as a priest, he was sent back to Ireland to spread the word of Christianity. He apparently used the shamrock as a symbol to explain the concept of the Trinity (Father, Son, Holy Spirit).
He is believed to have died on 17th March some time around 460 AD.
This is one the the most widely celebrated Saint's days the world over on March 17th. Why not try some of the traditional recipes below and join the hundreds of thousands in the celebrations.
For detailed information about Irish cuisine and history visit our Cooking By Country - Ireland page.
Click here for lots of Irish recipes
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