For centuries Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, has been revered as the founder of Christianity in Ireland. Today, his feast day on March 17^th is a day inextricably associated with national identity as Ireland and Irishness are celebrated throughout the world in a colourful slate of cultural and religious events.

This varied compendium of films illustrates St Patrick’s life and legacy, and the traditions that honour him. It includes early newsreels of shamrock-bearing colleens during World War 1; filmlets about St Patrick’s childhood haunts in Co Down and Croagh Patrick, site of annual pilgrimage; a record of nationwide activities during the Patrician Year in 1961; historical pageants in the 1950s; colourful parades in the 1980s; and a melodious collection of St Patrick’s staples sung by Bing Crosby and friends.

We are delighted to present this archive collection for, as the narrator tell us in Saint Patrick’s Country (1935),  “though Patrick died more than 1600 years ago, his memory is still fresh in Irish hearts.”