Let’s face it: Ireland is a Christian country, with a Catholic majority. The country is committed to this choice, and it’s reflected in the daily lives of Irish people… even in some of the core values of Irish society. Starting with their national holiday: St. Patrick’s Day, celebrated on March 17, celebrates the Christianization of Ireland in the 5th century by St. Patrick. A way of cultivating their historical attachment to their religious identity.
Although Saint Patrick is known for his efforts to Christianize Ireland, he was not the instigator: by 431, there were enough Christians in Ireland for Rome to appoint a bishop.
However, the Saint, born as Maewyn Sucat in Scotland, provided the decisive impetus. At the age of 16, he was kidnapped by Irish raiders, and during his six years in captivity, he turned his attention to religious matters. He finally managed to escape and became a disciple of Saint Germain d’Auxerre, then returned to Ireland after a vision of the Irish begging him to return.
Its action can be summed up in two acts:
The first took place in 432, when he returned on March 25, the traditional start of spring. While the High King is supposed to light the first fire, Saint Patrick is the first to fan its flames.
The king, Laoghaire, arrives ready to punish the disrespectful, but is seduced by Patrick’s oratorical gifts and lets him explain his plans.
The king refused to convert, but gave him free access to the entire territory, a very rare privilege. Without it, Patrick would never have been able to deliver his message.
Then there was the difficult task of getting people to understand the content, especially where the Trinity was concerned. Saint Patrick then drew an analogy with the clover, which has three leaves but is an entity in its own right. Likewise, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are one God. Since then, the shamrock has been associated with the Saint, and to a greater extent with Ireland.
Christianization continued, without any martyrdoms, which was exceptional in Europe at the time. Over the course of the century, monasteries multiplied and became important religious and cultural centers, whose influence extended as far as Great Britain. While classical Irish education was based on rote learning, the mixing of Latin learning in these places of learning led to an exchange of methods. And so, around the seventh century, an Irish grammar appeared.
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