IN Germanus’s company, Patrick witnessed the Alleluia Victory and other wonderful events in the land of his birth, but he knew his destiny lay in Ireland. Dreams still came to him of the Irish crying, “Come back to Erin!”

So when Pope Celestine’s choice as Ireland’s first bishop, Palladius, quailed before the ferocious hatred of the pagan chieftains there, it was no surprise to Patrick when Germanus recommended him to the new See.

The Druid priests screamed incantations at him; their chieftains perjured themselves repeatedly with wild claims of embezzlement and misconduct. But Patrick’s conscience was untroubled, and the ordinary people loved him.

He had a gift for matching familiar Irish things to Christian themes, and the sunshine of his gospel drove the fears and capricious gods of paganism away like a dark cloud.

St Patrick died on 17th March 461. He had gone back to the people among whom he had been a slave, and he had brought them freedom.