Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1911-03-15
ST. PATRICK'S DAY FRIDAY.
Legends of st. Patrick, the Beloved
Patron Saint of Ireland.

II. PatrlcR, the DelOVeu patron
saint of Ireland, was an adopted son
of the soil, according to the ancient
chronicles. His birthplace was near
Glastonbury, in England region
favorable for the production of
sainthood, since st. Dustan, who
downed the devil; Joseph of Anna
thea and Arthur and his Knights of
the Round Table all had claim to
the spot
Convinced of his mission as q
holy man, St. Patrick crossed the
Irish Sea in an open boat, and
climbing the Hill of Slane, lighted
an Easter fire on its summit in OPP
position to the enc kindled by the
Druids on the Hill OF Tara. Then
followed a tireless career of light
ing fires of religion in the hearts
of the peasants all over the Emer-
aid Isle and founding one church
for every day of the year. When
this was done he established a
bishops chair at Armagh and con-
secrated two bishops to continue the
good work which he had begun. ST.
Patrick lived to the ripe age of
century, and some say a decade
longer, and was buried in the Abbey
of Downpatrick, County Down, Ire
land, in 493 A. d. st. COLUMBIA and
st. Bridget were buried with him
and translated to sainthood in the
same hour.
His travels through life may be
traced by the names of places which
he visited in the British Isles. His
early days were spent at Dalpatrick
district of Patrick, in Lanark-
shire; he rested at Grag-phadrig
crock of Patrick, near Inversness.
He founded two churches named
Kirkpatrick and sailed from Port
patrick When he reached England
he preached in Patterdale (Patrick's
dale). In Wales he walked across
Sarn-badrig (Patrick's causeway).
On the Island of Anglesea he said
mass in Llanbadrig (Patrick's
church,, and his first Irish mission
was held at Innis Patrick (Patricks
Island), the second at Hokepatrick,
in the County of Dublin. At Sab
Kirkpatrick (Patrick's barn. he bap-
tized the chieftain Duchu on his own
thrashing floor in the County of
Down.
In connection with the baptism of
one of these wild Irishmen the leg
end is told that st. Patrick, being
near his four-score and ten and
weary with years, felt the need of
leaning on his croZier for support
Accidentally the iron spike was set
on the foot of the dependant chief
tain, who supposed the pain was a
part of the ceremony and bore it
without flinching. However, the
blood gushed forth in such quanti-
ties that the rivulet was stained
scarlet, and today enc hears the
place called "Struthfhuil" (stream
CT blood. 1t is near Downpatrick.
All creeping things were Danish
ed by his miraculous Intervention.
Like the Salvation Army of today
st. Patrick and his followers were
preceded by a drum when they went
forth to conquer new souls. One
morning as the saint was climbing
hill, on the top of which he in
tended to preach to the country peo-
pie, his drummer, over-ioyed at the
gathering numbers, fell to beating
the drum with such vigor that it
burst. Snakes and other reptiles
had been scurrying through the tan
gle of weeds in order to escape the
tramplng feet. AS the drum burst
one big snake was seen TO pause and
life his head with an irreverent leer
in his snaky ewes while his whole
body shook with unholy laughter
At this instant the heavens opened
with a terrifying light and an angel
descended to mend the drum. The
impious snakes were banished for
ever from the island. 1t happened,
however. that gigantic serpent was
asleep between the mountains of
Cork and Tipperary and did not
hear the curse. When st. Patrick
discovered him he ordered him into
the lake to remain until Monday.
Hence every Monday morning any
one who understands good Irish may
hear the serpent cry out in a. loud
voice, 'Tis a long Monday, Pat
rick"
The little white clover that grows
so abundantly in Ireland is worn on
St. Patrick's day because the saint
used the trefoil leaf to illustrate
the idea of the trinity. The name
shamrock is derived from the Arabic
name for the trefoil, which is
''shamrakh." and the plant is held
sacred in Iran as an emblem OF the
Persian Triads.
ST. Patrick was an apostle of tenn
perance. He desired that his dis
ciples should not drink during the
day, but only after vespers. One
of them named Coleman went thlr-
sly all day in the fields praying Tor
the hour of vespers, and when the
bells rang he dropped dead. Today
anyone bearing the name or Cole
man is likely to have that OF
"stadhach" attached-in memory OF
the thirsty one" The favorite drink
of the people, "poteen," dates to
the name Patrick. And on feast
day no Irishman need go hungry or
thirsty. as "Patrick's pot Is set out
for refreshment in every inn and In
every household, and the stranger
is made welcome to eat and drink.