Discovering Saint Patrick

The search for the ‘the real Saint Patrick’ has puzzled and intrigued scholars for centuries. How much can we really know about the life and times of Patrick? Why and how was the Patrick myth built up in the seventh century, and what was its influence on the development of Irish Catholicism? This new study takes a new approach to these questions. It begins by looking at what we expect from history; and the very different expectations of those who made Patrick famous, gave value to his writings so that they were preserved, and produced the interest that is still with us. Only when we can distinguish between the problems and perspectives of the hagiographer, on the one hand, and the historian, on the other, can we begin to approach Patrick.

This is superb popular history, rooted in a lifetime of research and study of the original sources, that undermines many of our preconceptions about Patrick and reveals several surprises. It includes new translations of the life of Patrick and Patrick’s own writings, as well as an extensive bibliography and resources for further reading.

Part One is a narrative outlining the problems of coming to know Patrick and to outline the earliest evidence for Christianity in Ireland. Part Two is made up of fresh translations of the basic sources for Patrick and his cult.