While St. Patrick is one of the most widely-known figures in Irish history, he was
not actually of Irish lineage. St. Patrick was born to wealthy British Celtic parents in the
late fourth century. When he was sixteen, the young Patrick was captured by a group of
Irish raiders attacking his family’s estate. He was forced into slavery in Ireland and made
to work as a shepherd. Today, historical and archaeological evidence offers us a glimpse
of the Ireland that Patrick would have known.