Since you will probably be backpacking across most of Ireland, you will not be staying in a single hostel for long. It is advisable to use the Internet to get the best hostels in whichever city you visit. There are numerous sites that allow you to filter all the hostels in Ireland and arrange them according to price, services offered, proximity to roads etc.
In a nutshell, backpacking across Ireland and meeting Irish people will be an unforgettable experience. You will also not face any accommodation problems because of the many options available in all cities.
Saint Patrick
Everyone knows Saint Patrick's Day
Saint Patrick's Day is celebrated all over the world on March 17 in honor of St. Patrick. Anyone making travel plans to Ireland will be interested in its origins.
Saint Patrick's Day (the day of his death) became a Catholic holiday back around the 10th century, progressively getting more and mor popular.
St. Patrick was born in Roman England during the 3rd century under the name Maewyn while Romans still controlled the British Isles. Maewyn and his family resided in a little village and his father was a military. His first name was changed later to Patrick.
His family practiced Christianity but was not particularly religious. A few historians claim he started out with agnostic beliefs early in his life but that would soon change.
When Maewyn was 16, Irish soldiers raided their village taking him and others as servants back to Ireland. This is the point where he converted from agnostic beliefs to Christianity. He began to accept God in is life and prayed regularly while in captivity.
It is thought he prayed as many as one hundred times a day. Since he was a servant under a Celtic family, he became fluent in the language. Maewyn escaped from slavery at 22 and fled first back to England, then to France.
In France, he joined a monastery and studied the bible under the guidance of the bishop. This French bishop is the one who changed his name to Patrick. One story says Maewyn heard angels calling him back to Ireland during his time at the monastery.
After studying Cahtolic law and the bible for more than a decade, Saint Patrick returned to convert Ireland into a Christian nation. His confidence in God led him on journeys near and far converting many to Christianity.
It is believed he used the shamrock to illustrate the Holy Trinity in his sermons though no proof exists. The next thirty years of his life were spent in missionary work throughout Ireland.
Aside from converting many people including royalty, St. Patrick built schools and churches to teach the Catholic religion. It is even said he cured people and raised the dead. Saint Patrick died on March 17, 431 A.D. which marks this date for the patron saint of ireland.
Today, St.Patrick's Day is celebrated all over the world in different ways by those who are of Irish origin. It is a tradition to wear green on this day or get pinched. The Irish wear a shamrock on their hats or lapels and children wear a green orange, or white badge.
The Irish think of green as the color of life. Another St. Patrick's Day tradition is drinking green ale. A big parade is held in downtown Dublin every year. Recently, an event called the St.Patrick's Day Festival is held and lasts for a week.
Other big parades have taken place in England, New York, Hong Kong, and Singapore. In the United States, St.Patrick's Day was not an official holiday until 1737. New York was the first state to hold a St.Patrick's Day parade.
Regardless of one's origin, it is a fun day for all ages. But it is so much more fun if you are in Ireland for Saint Patrick's Day, you will great terrific photos if you do so.