Legend has it that St Patrick chased all the snakes in Ireland into the sea - which explains why there are no snakes in the country. The story seems to date back to a late seventh century book ...

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However, as a historian of medieval Ireland, I can assure you that the real St. Patrick, who lived and worked in the fifth century, never saw a snake or wore a shamrock. Patrick’s own writings ...

There are a number of legends associated with Saint Patrick, perhaps the most famous being that he drove the snakes from Ireland. One account says that he stood on a hill and drove them into the sea.

But snakes were never there in the first place ... As Irish people travelled and settled around the world they brought the story of St Patrick with them to the many different countries.