Things You Didn't Know About Ireland Part 3: Why There Aren't Any Snakes in Ireland

As I was researching Ireland for this series I inevitably at one point Googled an image of St. Patrick. I saw quite a few images like this:

Of course I wondered what was up with all of the snakes. I thought the metaphoric Satan was usually represented in imagery as only one serpent, not a whole cluster. So I decided to investigate

Things You Didn't Know About Ireland Part 3: St. Patrick Banished Snakes from Ireland

First things first: St. Patrick wasn't Irish. He was born in Britain in the 4th Century and was transported to Ireland as a slave when he was a young man. During his enslavement he was converted to Christianity supposedly after a visit in a dream. Although he later escaped home to Britain, he decided to return to Ireland and preach the Catholic faith. 

Back then Ireland was a mostly Pagan country. St. Patrick is credited with converting the country to Christianity.  A famous teaching is his use of a three leaved clover to demonstrate the Holy Trinity. 

Another common legend is that St. Patrick banished snakes from Ireland. It's true, there are none of the slithering creatures to be found on the Emerald Isle. But is a higher power to thank for the absence of snakes?

Not exactly. The truth is there were never snakes in Ireland. It's a bit of a geologic mystery: during the most recent Ice Age Ireland either broke away from the European continent or rose out of the sea where it had been forming. Snakes evolved after this took place and never made it to the new island. 

So why credit St. Patrick with their banishment? A couple theories have been thrown around. One is that the snakes symbolize the paganism that St. Patrick destroyed through conversion to Christianity. Another is that the snake story may relate to the story of Moses (whose staff turned into a snake) in the Old Testament. 

For more fun facts on St. Patrick visit here. 

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