St. Pats Day

By Christine Lovatt

On Monday 17th March, Saint Patrick’s Day will be celebrated all over the world, so here’s a bit about himself.

St Patrick was a Christian born in the 5th Century either in Wales or Scotland, who was kidnapped by Irish brigands and taken to Ireland as a slave. After six years he escaped to France and finally made it back home but his experience inspired him to spread Christianity to Ireland. He is known for banishing snakes from Ireland, and explaining the mystery of the Trinity by using the shamrock.

These days he must be the best-known saint, and many people will be raising their glasses on Monday and wishing their companions “Slainté” meaning ‘Good health’ in Irish – perhaps while wearing a sprig of shamrock, or a touch of green.

Here in Australia, Irish Australians form the second largest ethnic group, and the high percentage of Catholics is largely the result of descendants of Irish immigrants - people such as Nicole Kidman, Paul Hogan, Peter Lalor and Thomas Keneally. The Sydney St. Patrick's Day parade is recorded as being the largest in the Southern Hemisphere.

Ireland has contributed many words to the English language, such as brogue, curragh, smithereens, banshee, donnybrook, blarney, bog, shillelagh, galore, hooligan, leprechaun, lough, mavourneen, colcannon, ogham, poteen, shamrock, Tory and whiskey.

Slainté to you all!