Sláinte, Saint Patrick

History emphasises Saint Patrick’s interest in snakes and saving the souls of the pagan Irish. But there was another side to our national saint, if history is to be believed.

There are two main candidates that fit the credentials for St Patrick. One was a Romanised Briton said to have been from Scotland, who was born in Kilpatrick and died in Downpatrick.

Personally, if I was called Patrick I would have avoided both ...