Shamrocks

Written by Beth Bright

Go green this St Patrick’s Day

St Patrick. From slave to bishop

The Patron Saint of Ireland died on 17 March, 461 in Saul, County Down and is buried in the grounds of Down Cathedral in Downpatrick. However, Patrick wasn’t born in Ireland but in Scotland or Wales. He was sold as a child slave, escaped to become a shepherd and ended his life as a bishop. St Patrick’s Day celebrates the arrival of Christianity in Ireland and spiritual renewal.

The parade

St Patrick's Day Parade New York

Initially, the St Patrick’s Day parade was in Boston in 1737. New York then joined the party and eventually Ireland in 1903. The annual Dublin parade attracts over a million people.

Why Shamrocks?

Three shamrock leaves

Patrick supposedly used the three leaves of a shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity.

Make a wish

Leprechauns are mythical fairy folk with a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. Legend says if you catch a Leprechaun, you are granted three wishes…

Going green

Green is associated with Catholics in Ireland and to mark St Patrick’s Day, people wear the colour. Around the world, Sydney Opera House and the Empire State Building have changed to green in honour of the Saint.

Check out our very own green deal.

 

St Patrick's Day compost promotion press ad

 

Happy St Patrick’s Day!