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Happy St. Patrick's Day

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Uploaded by on Mar 8, 2008

Happy St. Patrick's Day
St. Patrick the national Saint of Ireland is reputed to have returned to Ireland in the year 432 having spent some 20 odd years in western Europe. He landed on the shores of Strangford Lough at the mouth of Slaney River. His first convert a local Chief Dichu gave Patrick a barn (Sabhall in Irish, now Saul) from where Patrick conducted his mission
Patrick was captured by Irish raiders at the age of 16 and sold into slavery to tend sheep and swine on the mountains. In his confessions St Patrick gives us only one Irish place name, that of the wood of Foclut. He implies that it was the place of his captivity. The weight of evidence is that this was a wood on the west shore of Ireland in what is now Co. Mayo.

Here his thoughts turned to God and he spent much time in solitary prayer and in his own words 'the Spirit was burning in me at the time'. During this time he had two dreams in which he heard voices directing him, the first telling him that he would soon depart the place of slavery and the second to tell him that his ship was ready. At this he left his master and traveled across the country until he found a merchant ship preparing to sail.

The ship brought him to a deserted place believed to be Wales and eventually he made his way home and was reunited with his family. However he was not happy here and speaks of many disturbing dreams. In one of these dreams he received a letter from 'The voice of the Irish' and in another he speaks of the children in their mothers wombs crying out to him to return.

He received his education and training on the Continent and according to some records visited Rome. He is said to have received, the staff known as "The Staff of Jesus" (Bachall Iosa) which is traditionally always in his hand when we see any statues or pictures of the Saint.

He returned to Ireland, traditionally dated in 432. He is thought to have landed first at the mouth of the River Boyne, and then to have traveled north to Saul, where, according to legend, he had his first church given to him by Dichu, the local druid lord, who after first opposing Patrick and even making an attempt to attack him with a sword, was miraculously paralyzed by the saint. As a result of the wonderment at his paralysis, Dichu sought baptism and became the first convert in Ireland.

From there he is thought to have moved on to Tara which was the Royal Residence of the High King of Tara who, at the time, was King Laoghaire. Every year, all the kings, governors, leaders, princes and nobility of Ireland, along with the druids, magicians, soothsayers, clairvoyants and teachers of every art and skill were summoned by the High King of Tara -- their Babylon - to celebrate the Festival of Easter with their Pagan worship. And traditionally at that time it was forbidden for any person to light a fire before the fire in the Kings home at Tara was lit on pain of death.

But St Patrick lit the divine fire-bright and blessed-the fire that became known as The Paschal Fire, which was seen by the people far and wide. Laoghaire, the High King was incensed and to prove that his Gods were as good as Patricks God, King Laoghaire challenged Patrick to a legendary contest with the magician Lucamael.

The first round of the contest was to consist of a trial by water; each was to place his book in water, the winner being the one whose book emerged intact . Patrick was willing but the magician was not.

The next round was to be a trial by fire; again each was to place his book in the fire with the winner's emerging unscathed. Again Patrick was willing but the magician was not.

The result was that although King Laoghaire, High King of Ireland, rejected Patrick's beliefs, he allowed Patrick through the length and breath of Ireland without any opposition.

Saint Patrick travelled the length and breath of Ireland bringing Christianity in Patrick' own words "to the ends of the Earth and beyond." Everywhere that Patrick travelled he established churches, many of which are still standing, albeit in ruins, bear his name to this day.

St Patrick is recorded as having died on the 17th day of March and since that time it has traditionally been celebrated as his feast day. When he died many communities contended for the glory of having his burial in their grounds. Tradition has it that leaving it to Providence to resolve the argument, the bier was laid on a wagon to which four oxen were yoked. The oxen were led out into the wilderness and left to seek their own destination. On a slope above the river Quoile they stayed and there, in Downpatrick, the body of St Patrick was laid in the earth.

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All Comments (31)

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  • good video and dancing

    how did you get that special effect

  • class video

  • great vid my freind!!! best jig iv seen in ages lol

  • Made it a favorite for the holiday : )

  • HAPPY PADDYS DAY TO EVERYONE!

  • Fucking awesome, Irish jig, Irish jig, Irish jig!

  • did they ? lucky you

  • mutant beer

  • Why did someone mark all thse as spam? LOL Oh well. I THINK I'm going to a house party with a keg with green beer in it :)

  • No, it tastes the same, it's just dyed green!!!

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