St Patrick's contribution to Irish history has been much celebrated but is also the subject of intense controversy. This collection of essays, commemorating the 1500th anniversary of his death, aims to take stock of various difficult issues which require reassessment.
With respect to the saint's career, Patrick's own impassioned apologia pro uita suais a text to whose detailed message access is not easy. The later Irish sources for St Patrick are also difficult, but they cannot be cast aside. It is in fact doubtful whether they tell us much more about St Patrick, yet they may bring us material about Palladius, first bishop of Ireland, who became identified with Patrick sometime during the 7th or 8th centuries. The continuing medieval development of the legend and cult of St Patrick has its own interest as well as illuminating a wide variety of other historical and literary-historical issues,several of which are explored in this volume.
- ISBN10 0851153321
- ISBN13 9780851153322
- Publish Date 17 June 1993
- Publish Status Inactive
- Out of Print 8 August 2008
- Publish Country GB
- Publisher Boydell & Brewer Ltd
- Imprint The Boydell Press
- Format Hardcover
- Pages 344
- Language English