St. Patrick’s Day Archives

Topics

Featured

History of St Patrick’s Day Parades Around the World

New York City and the First St. Patrick’s Day Parade One of the earliest St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in America took place in Boston in 1737, when a group of Irish Protestants gathered to honor their homeland’s saint, a 5th century Christian missionary who died on March 17, 461, according to some claims. In the […]

History of St. Patrick’s Day

Who Was St. Patrick? Saint Patrick, who lived during the fifth century, is the patron saint of Ireland and its national apostle. Born in Roman Britain, he was kidnapped and brought to Ireland as a slave at the age of 16. He later escaped, but returned to Ireland and was credited with bringing Christianity to […]

St. Patrick’s Day Traditions

The Shamrock The shamrock, which was also called the “seamroy” by the Celts, was a sacred plant in ancient Ireland because it symbolized the rebirth of spring. By the seventeenth century, the shamrock had become a symbol of emerging Irish nationalism. As the English began to seize Irish land and make laws against the use […]

Who Was St. Patrick?

St. Patrick Wasn’t Irish St. Patrick was born in Britain—not Ireland—to wealthy parents near the end of the fourth century. He is believed to have died on March 17, around 460 A.D. Although his father was a Christian deacon, it has been suggested that he probably took on the role because of tax incentives and […]

Videos

See All

Play

Featured

Who Was St. Patrick?

St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland, but was he really Irish? Get the answer now.

St. Patrick’s Day Traditions

Get the real story about this beloved Irish holiday and the patron saint it’s named after.

Watch now

St. Patrick’s Day Address

In his annual 1947 St. Patrick’s Day radio address to the United States broadcast from Dublin, Prime Minister of Ireland Eamon de Valera reminds the world of Ireland’s plight and asks for support in the effort to reunite the country.

Watch now