Born in Britain around 390 AD, St Patrick was taken as a slave to Ireland at the age of 16. Instigated by divine dreams, he escaped to his native land and became a priest until - obeying further dreams - he returned to Ireland as a bishop around 432, converting many and establishing the first Irish church at Armagh. He died in Down, around 460. 'The Confession of St Patrick' and 'Letter to the Soldiers of Coroticus' are both written by the Saint himself. The 'Confession' was penned as a response to (unfounded) attacks on Patrick's integrity, while the 'Letter' derives from a slave-collecting attack undertaken by soldiers of the Scottish Christian King Coroticus, and reveals Patrick's incandescent rhetorical style. Both these unique documents open a window to the voice of the Saint, speaking more than 1500 years before our own time. 'The Tripartite Life' is late 9th century; it is the earliest example of Irish language hagiography, and is remarkable for the most famous poem about Patrick: the 'Lorica'. Its three parts are designed to be read consecutively over the three days of the Saint's festival.
