Ye Basics: He wasn't Irish, he was "Romano-British" He wasn't Catholic, they weren't around yet He's not officially canonized, either, but that doesn't really matter anyway Nobody knows precisely where or when he was born, or to whom Nobody is sure exactly when he died, either There never were any effing snakes in Ireland
He probably was not named Patrick (or Pádraig) The Name Game: It has been alleged that St. Patrick's given name was Maewyn Succat and that it wasn't until he became a priest that he adopted a new name, Patricius (which relates to the Latin root meaning father) which devolves into Patrick among non-Latin speakers. In his own first writing, he refers to himself as Patricius, but he was already a priest by then. Other writers have referred to him by other names of the general type of honorifics or denotatives based on his life, but not his ancestry. It is further alleged that his father was Calpurnius his mother was Concessa and his grandfather was Potitus. Using only secondary (tertiary or far worse, actually) sources, it is hard to get much further. Maewyn Succat is more in keeping with the locality of his birth (Britain, Scotland, Wales) and really doesn't conflict with the Romano-Latin mileiu then in place. The Romans would have had latin names (DUH), but not the ordinary folk. His dad and grandfather were involved with the church so things are further complicated by the various rituals surrounding renaming people at christening/baptism/etc. that may or may not have been in place at the time, rendering the fact that they had Latin names as adults not particularly relevant. As if that weren't problem enough, surnames as we know them were scarce in Britain before 1066 or so.
Other useful information<BR> Saint Pat's Day in the US is amateur hour, a good day to stay safely inside at home and avoid all the fratboys out getting bombed on cheap booze.
Green Beer:<BR> True Green Beer:<BR>
Green Beer is beer that has undergone its primary fermentation but has yet to undergo a period of conditioning before packaging. It is perhaps “drinkable” but not ready to drink.
Beerandbrewing.com<BR>
St. Pat's Day Green Beer: <BR>
This is generally Buttwiper or similarly obnoxious beverage dosed with chemical food coloring to turn it green. It is an abomination and no self-respecting Irish person would drink it. (That is also largely true of Buttwiper without food coloring, but that is another matter.)
Much of the music which follows pertains to Ireland (Éire) and its people and history, meaning the Republic of Ireland(Poblacht na hÉireann), and not the contiguous British province to its Northeast. Once a British colony, this British exclave is, by some, referred to as Northern Ireland because it is situated in the Northeast corner of the island of Ireland, but you should be able to readily discern those songs inappropriate to it.
Finnegan's Wake<BR>
Whisky, You're the Devil
Johnny McEldoo
Whiskey in the Jar
somewhat more seriously: The Rising of the Moon
Johnson's Motor Car
The Foggy Dew
A Nation Once Again
The Soldier's Song (Irish National Anthem)
Open Thread, Saint Patrick, green beer, The Soldiers Song