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Ten major Irish saints

Did you know? Although St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland–and certainly no other saint has the stature of St. Patrick in Ireland–the beloved holy man wasn’t actually Irish. Born somewhere in western or northern Britain, he was brought to Ireland as a slave when still a teenager. After six years he escaped to the Continent, where he became a monk. Eventually, following a vision, he returned to Ireland to Christianize it.

St. Patrick

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  • Ireland
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  • Saint Patrick’s Day
  • Quiz: Irish Literature and Folklore

But Ireland, which was once known as the land of saints and scholars, has bred numerous saints, many of whom left their native country to Christianize the rest of Europe. Here are but a few.

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St. Aidan Feast day: Aug. 31  

The founder of a great center of Celtic Christianity.

St. BrendanFeast day: May 16  

Patron of boatmen, sailors, travelers, and whales.

St. ColumbaFeast day: June 9  

St. BrigidFeast day: Feb. 1  

Patron of babies, blacksmiths, cows and dairy workers, Ireland, midwives, poets, sailors, scholars, and travelers.

Patron of bookbinders, Ireland, poets, and Scotland

St. ColumbanFeast day: Nov. 23  

It is no wonder that this saint’s emblem is the bear, as he seems to have had a knack for causing trouble.

St. Ita Feast day: Jan. 15  

The revered teacher of St. Brendan.

St. KieranFeast day: Sept. 9  

St. KevinFeast day: June 3  

Patron of blackbirds, the archdiocese of Dublin, Ireland, and Glendalough, Ireland.

A visionary who founded a great Irish monastery.

St. MalachyFeast day: Nov. 3  

The first Irish saint to be canonized by a pope, in 1199.

St. Oliver PlunketFeast day: July 11  

The last Catholic martyr to die at Tyburn, he was canonized by Pope Paul VI in 1975.

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Saint Brigid

  • Saint Brigid

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  • Did Birds Evolve from Dinosaurs?
  • The Twelve Dancing Princesses
  • Current Events This Week: January 2023
  • African Americans by the Numbers
  • Andersen’s Fairy Tales: Contents
  • The Celtic Twilight: A Teller of Tales