A Bit O' History

"Ode to the Shamrock"

There's a dear little plant that grows in our isle,

'Twas St. Patrick himself, sure, that sets it;

And the sun of his labor with pleasure did smile,

And with dew from his eye often wet it.

It grows through the bog, through the brake, through the mireland,

And they call it the dear little Shamrock of Ireland.

A Brief History of St. Patrick

Saint Patrick's real name was Maewyn Succat.

At the age of 16, he was kidnapped by Irish pirates and was sold as a slave. He herded sheep for years until he escaped when he was 22. He found a monastery and spent 12 years nurturing his faith.

Around 432 A.D., St. Patrick arrived in Ireland and began working to convert the Irish to Christianity. To explain the concept of the Holy Trinity, he used a Shamrock, explaining that the stem holds the three leaves together, the same as Christianity connecting the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. The leaves show that though they are separate units, they are unified.

Legend has it that this man drove all of the snakes from Ireland.

The Vikings

In 795 AD, Norse Vikings arrived for the first time in Ireland and with intention of spreading across the isle, actually ended up settling in what we now know as Dublin around 840 AD. When the Vikings arrived or went anywhere new, they violently attacked villages and stole treasure to keep for themselves. The also eventually settled in various places along the coast, including modern-day Cork, Limerick, Waterford, and Wexford.

In 851, the Danish Vikings arrived and attacked the Norse Vikings living in Ireland. By 902, Irish clans defeated the Vikings, who fled to Britain. Years of conflict and attacking followed, until 936, the Irish burnt the Viking city of Dublin down to the ground and built the present day city.

The Kingdom

In 976, Brian Boru became king of Dál gCais, a small kingdom in the south west. In 980, the Vikings reclaimed Dublin while their king was focused on threat from Britain. 17 years later after these kings had constantly been warring, they decided that one would rule the north while the other ruled the south of Ireland. However, just two years later, Brian broke this agreement and won over Dublin and its Vikings once again. Through the years, the Vikings fought and warred, losing and gaining power every few years. By 1042, the Vikings had been in control of Dublin since 1036, but had become more integrated with Dublin's culture, even adopting Christianity. From there, Christianity and faith fueled the battle between Catholicism and Protestants that led Ireland to its place today, with two separate countries between the north and south when consistently fighting with Britain for freedom.