Saint Patrick did indeed exist. He was born in 387 and died in March 461. The exact date of his birth is really unknown and merely speculated, but 385-387 seem to be the average. He's been the Patron Saint of Ireland since the 8th century because he brought Christianity to Ireland.

There are two known letters that attest to this fact. The first is when he was a 15 or 16 year old boy. He was captured in Britain where he had lived since birth and taken by Irish Raiders to Ireland as a slave. Patrick was enslaved in Ireland for six years before he managed to escape and go back home to his family in Britain.

Later, Patrick entered the church and became an ordained bishop. He returned to Ireland, working in the north and west of the island. Only assumptions are made about the exact places that he worked as no concrete evidence exists. He spread the gospel for 40 years, converting the whole of Ireland and it's said that he performed many miracles along the way.

After years of suffering, spreading the Gospel, poverty and writing of his love for God in Confessions - the second written evidence of Patrick's existence- he died March 17, 461.

Patrick used the shamrock as a way of explaining The Trinity while converting the Pagans. The shamrock has been associated with Christianity, Patrick and Ireland since.

Patrick can be blamed for a lot of Christian holidays and beliefs being intertwined with Paganism. His idea what using customs already in place by the Pagans would make the conversion much easier. For example, the Celtic Cross is half the Christian cross and half a Sun God Image. Another popular convergence was bonfires and Easter. Saint Patrick did this as Pagans honored many of their deities with fire. The name of Easter was originally Ostara. Originally, the holiday was a celebration centered around fertility and the beginning of spring. This is why The Easter Bunny. Easter Eggs and Easter Egg Hunts are associated with Easter - along with bonfires - which are much less popular in The United States than in Europe.

All sensible evidences says snakes never existed in post-glacial Ireland. Snakes or serpents are symbols of evil within the Christian religion. Saying that Patrick drove out every snake in Ireland refers to Paganism being squashed and Christians being victorious in converting Ireland. The Celtic people of Ireland have always had an oral culture. Using music and stories important facts - religion, history and legends - have been passed down from one generation to the next. It is no great surprise that the great legend of Saint Patrick has been exaggerated.

There are many stories about Patrick banishing all the snakes from Ireland. The basic notion is that the Saint stood upon a hillside (now called Croagh Patrick) with his ash wood walking stick by his side. He pounded the stick upon the ground and ordered all the snakes off the island and into the sea. The snakes all slithered from wherever they laid and into the waters surrounding Ireland as Patrick ordered.

A story about the banishing of snakes that seems to come up a lot tells how the clever Patrick came against a particularly stubborn snake that would not leave the Island by diving into the surrounding waters. Patrick made a box and invited the snake to crawl inside, but the snake refused Patrick's instructions. The snake boasted of his size and declared the box was far too small for such a large and magnificent snake. The snake and Patrick argued this back and forth. Finally; out of complete frustration, the snake entered the box to prove he would not fit. When the snake crawled into the box, Patrick slid the door of the box shut and tossed the snake into the sea.

The story is entitled Patrick and the Snakes, and it was made in celebration of St. Patrick's Day. He earned his sainthood by converting the pagans to Christianity not by vanishing the snakes. Scientist believe that Glaciers were the main reason no snake survived in Ireland.

To read the whole story of Patrick and the Snakes, kindly visit the link below:

http://www.dreamlandmagic.net/stories/patrick.html