Who was Saint Patrick and What Did He Do?

Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland. He, also, was a real historical person. Some of his history comes from his autobiography, The Confessio.

Having done a fair amount of genealogy, tracking down errant family members, I know how easy it is to have several actual official versions of a person's true history. So, I'm listing the facts that are agreed upon. I'm also enumerating the various main tangents and some of the events that have been attributed to him.

Patrick lived approximately 389-461 AD. It is understood that he died on March 17. He was born in either Scotland or England to well-off parents. His father was either a Roman-British soldier or a Christian deacon. Patrick was an adolescent when Irish pirates raided his family home and took him and others into captivity. He spent 6 years in Irish slavery most likely as a shepherd. It was during this time that he converted to Christianity and began to hear from God and to have specific instructions which directed his decision making.

After six years in Ireland, Patrick began to hear God's voice in his dreams telling him that it was time for him to leave Ireland. He walked approximately 200 miles to the Irish coast and escaped back to Britain. After his return he had another dream where Victorius, the angel of Ireland, appeared to him, telling him that he was to return to Ireland as a missionary.

He went into Christian training for around 12-15 years before he was ordained. Then, he was sent back to convert the pagan Irish and to minister to and to encourage the few Christians who were already there.

He was very effective as he traveled throughout Ireland gaining many converts and setting up monasteries. He also founded schools and churches which aided him in the conversion of the Irish. He established native ministers, encouraged the growth of monasticism(Monks living the chaste and contemplative, godly life in monasteries), formed dioceses, and convened church councils.

He was effective because he didn't seek to replace the folk customs with a totally foreign concept of worshiping God. Since he had spent around six years with the people he understood their language and their customs. He incorporated the custom of worshiping the pagan gods with bonfires as a celebration of Easter and he created the Celtic cross by adding the sun to the cross. The sun was considered a powerful symbol in Ireland.
http://www.history.com/content/stpatricksday/who-was-st.-patrick

For over twenty years, Patrick preached throughout the country influencing many to convert, especially among the royal families, causing a lot of anger among the druids who had him to be arrested several times. He was released from every incident.
http://www.theholidayspot.com/patrick/historyofpatrick.htm

Among the stories and legends there are several that are attributed to Patrick. Among them are:

It is said that Patrick used the three leaved clover or Shamrock, to explain the trinity of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit to the Irish. The wearing of the Shamrock or a green ribbon was adopted in the 1600's to celebrate Saint Patrick's Day. That is where the term "the wearing of the green" comes from.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Patrick's_Day#Wearing_of_green

When Patrick first arrived back in Ireland, he sought to convert the kings as he believed that the people would follow their rulers in conversion. But the druids had control of the rulers and had falsely prophesied to some of their kings that an evil man would arrive from over the sea gaining the love and respect of the multitudes of Ireland through his teachings, and that he would have the present rulers banished from their kingdoms, their idols destroyed and replaced by his religion forever.

Patrick and his companions had arrived in Ireland at the time of a great pagan festival which was celebrated with bonfires which could only be lit by the druids. They were the only fires that were allowed during that time.

After he had arrived in Ireland, he and his companions sailed from their original landing and proceeded until they arrived at the River Boyne. Then they went up the river until they came to the hill of Slane. There he decided to celebrate Easter by lighting a bonfire.

The king saw the fire and was furious. He consulted his druid priests who told him that if he didn't put out the fire that night and stop the man who lit it, he would be unstoppable.

The king and his nobles and the druids went to the hill Slane to stop Patrick and to kill him. When they arrived Patrick went to meet them singing a scripture, "Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; but we will call upon the Name of the Lord our God.". One of the nobles disobeyed the king and greeted Patrick and was converted on the spot. He later became the first bishop of Slane. One of the druids began to curse Patrick and God and
Patrick prayed that the man may be lifted up and die. He then was lifted up and dropped on a rock, dying.

The king was furious and tried to have him killed. Then Patrick spoke another scripture verse to him, "Let God arise and His enemies be scattered; and let them that hate Him, flee from before His face! As smoke vanishes, so let them vanish away: as wax melts before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God." An earthquake occurred a confusion came upon the king's company and they began to kill each other in the
confusion. when they realized what they were doing, they ran leaving the king and queen and three others.

The queen converted and required that her husband do the same, which he did falsely. He then invited Patrick to the castle on Tara, intending to have him killed in an ambush on the way to the castle. Patrick and his party were covered in darkness and walked by each of the ambushes who only saw a party of deer and a fawn who was the young boy who accompanied Patrick.
http://www.kathiewaltersministry.com/content/view/50/32/

Another time, Patrick arrived at the small village of Dublin where the king had previously rejected God and His ways. The king had just lost both his son and daughter and was preparing to bury both of them when he heard from town that "St. Patrick, the potent reviver of many dead persons" had been seen in town. The king invited him to his castle and told him in front of who were all present that if Patrick raised his children from the dead, he and his entire town would convert to his God. Patrick raised the children from the dead. The King and the entire population were so shocked that they all converted and were baptized that day. The king and the people of that place gave so much to Patrick that he was able to help the poor and to build churches.

Ref. Lives of the Irish Saints -O'Hanlon. Ecclesiatical History of Ireland, Rev. Dr. Lanigan. Sexta Vita S. Patricii, Joycelin notes.
http://www.kathiewaltersministry.com/content/view/52/32/

Saint Patrick's Day started out as a feast day of holy obligation for the Irish Catholics to celebrate Saint Patrick. But it has also become a secular celebration and is celebrated as a National holiday in Ireland and a public holiday in Montserrat. It's also celebrated in Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, the United States and Argentina. It's especially observed, where there is a sizable Irish population, to commemorate their Irish heritage.

Sources:

http://www.history.com/content/stpatricksday/who-was-st.-patrick

http://www.theholidayspot.com/patrick/historyofpatrick.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Patrick's_Day#Wearing_of_green

http://www.kathiewaltersministry.com/content/view/50/32/

http://www.kathiewaltersministry.com/content/view/52/32/