March the 17th is Saint Patrick’s Day, the day when we celebrate the life of Ireland’s national saint, and all things Irish. To mark the occasion and join in the fun, we’ve written this quiz with questions on the life of Patrick himself, along with some light-hearted Irish myths, legends and folklore.
Patrick is remembered for converting the pagan Irish to the new faith of Christianity. But did you know he was also an author? Amazingly we have his autobiography and a letter he wrote condemning the British for their mistreatment of the Irish.
And now it’s time for the quiz. Have a go and see whether you have the luck of the Irish! See if you can score full marks with your knowledge of Saint Patrick and of Ireland.
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Despite his Irish connections, St. Patrick was born in Great Britain. We don’t know exactly whereabouts – some say Scotland, others Wales and some say England
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He was living in Britain at the time, when he was kidnapped by pirates and taken to Ireland as a slave. He escaped after six years, but later returned to convert the Irish to the Christian faith
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The myth states that Patrick chased all the serpents in Ireland into the sea after they attacked him whilst he was fasting. There are no snakes in Ireland, though this is more likely due to the fact that it is an isolated island – there have not been any snakes there since before the last Ice Age
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According to legend, if you wear green on St. Patrick's Day, you will be invisible to leprechauns. Apparently, they like to pinch people as soon as they see them, so wearing green helps you avoid this
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There are many myths about leprechauns. They are supposedly little folk who take the guise of old men. They love to create mischief and are said to like making shoes too. They also have stores of gold coins which they keep in pots at the ends of rainbows. They will give you three wishes in exchange for their release, though how anybody has ever managed to catch one is unknown!
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March 17th is the traditional date of the saint’s death, but nobody really knows the exact day or year in which he died
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He died in the town of Saul and is said to have been buried in the nearby town of Downpatrick, County Down. The town gets its name from its connection to the saint
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A strange place, considering Florida belonged to the Spanish at that time (1601). Apparently, the celebration was organised by an Irish vicar, Ricardo Artur
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The St. Patrick’s Day parade in Chicago begins with a boat travelling down the Chicago River, releasing dye as it goes. Thousands of people watch on from the riverbanks as the river turns green before the celebrations start in earnest
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The Blarney Stone sits on the top floor of Blarney Castle near Cork. Legend has it that if you kiss the stone, from thenceforth you’ll have an excellent skill with words, be able to fool people with flattery, and convince them of almost anything!
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