Who was Saint Patrick?
Saint Patrick is known as the patron saint of Ireland. Although he was not born Irish, he has become an important part of the Irish heritage, mostly through his service across Ireland in the 5th century. It is believed that Patrick was born in the late 4th century A.D., but there are differing views about the exact year and place of his birth. According to some historians, he was born about 390 A.D., but other historians say it was about 373 AD. Some historians believe that he was born in Scotland, and others believe it was Roman England. Many of the stories traditionally associated with St. Patrick, including the famous account of his banishing all the snakes from Ireland, are false. The stories are products of hundreds of years of exaggerated storytelling. His real name was probably Maewyn Succat, and Patricius was his Romanicized name. Later he became familiar as Patrick. It is known that St. Patrick was born in Britain to wealthy parents near the end of the fourth century. He is be
