March the 17^th is the anniversary of the death of Maewyn Succat, a child of Roman parents born in Scotland (or some say Wales, others England) sometime around 400 AD. In his teenage years Maewyn was kidnapped by pirates, taken across the Irish Sea, and sold into slavery. He spent six years looking after sheep on Slemish mountain in County Antrim, during which time he became fluent in the Irish language. The story then goes that having prayed to God, an avenue of escape came to Maewyn in a dream; he fled to the coast and found boat waiting to take him back to Britain. From there, having had the power of the Lord proven to him, Maewyn travelled to France were he trained to be a priest and later a bishop. Upon doing so he changed his Roman Briton to a Latin one: Patricus, or Patrick as we call him today.