St Patrick was the man who brought Christianity to Ireland, and though Ireland may have fewer than 6 million inhabitants, the festival stretches around the world.

St Patrick was actually born in England and was captured by Irish pirates who sold him into slavery. He remained in Ireland for six years, tending sheep on the lonely Slemish mountain, and seeking comfort in God, before eventually managing to escape. He decided to follow his vocation to become a priest and studied for many years in France, but was drawn back to Ireland by a dream in which the voice of the Irish begged him to return. He did so as a missionary, and played a major part in converting Ireland to Christianity, travelling around the country establishing monasteries, schools and churches.

Tradition has it that St Patrick drove the snakes out of Ireland. It is actually unlikely that snakes ever lived in Ireland and the “snakes” probably mean the symbolic serpent of evil, and it was the evil of Paganism that he drove out. He is also said to have used the three leaves of the shamrock to illustrate the Holy Trinity, which is why shamrocks are now worn to celebrate St Patrick’s Day.

In Ireland the day was primarily a religious festival, and until the 1970s the pubs were required by law to remain closed on 17 March. However, even though the day falls during Lent, the prohibition against eating meat was lifted and the Irish would celebrate with dancing and feasting on bacon and cabbage.

The lively parades that we now associate with St Patrick’s Day began in America in 1762 and have flourished ever since as immigrants celebrate their Irish identity and their roots in the old country. There is much drinking, dancing and music, and shamrocks and leprechaun suits abound. Everything goes green for the occasion, including clothes, beer, the fountains in London’s Trafalgar Square and in Chicago, for the last forty years, they have even dyed the Chicago River green!

For a St Patrick’s Day feast at home, try the traditional boiled bacon and cabbage with champ. You can find a recipe for Irish Coffee to round off the meal in the World of Coffee section.

Boiled Bacon and Cabbage
Serves 6

3 lb / 1.3 kg joint of gammon
1 large onion studded with cloves
2 carrots, cut into chunks
2 bay leaves
4 sprigs of thyme
12 peppercorns
1 whole green cabbage

Place the gammon in a large pan, cover with cold water and bring slowly to the boil. Once boiling, discard the water and rinse the gammon under cold water before returning it to the pan. This will remove the excess salt.

Fill the pan with cold water again and add the carrots, bay leaves, thyme and peppercorns. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 1 ½ hours.

Cut the cabbage into quarters, add to the pot 10 minutes before the end of the cooking time. Remove the meat from the saucepan. Leave the cabbage in to cook for a further 10 minutes while the meat rests prior to being sliced.

Champ
Serves 6

3 lb / 1.3 kg potatoes, peeled
7 fl oz / 200 ml milk
1 bunch spring onions, sliced
4 oz / 110 g butter, diced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Boil the potatoes for 20-25 minutes until tender. Drain and mash the potatoes or push them through a potato ricer. Heat the milk and spring onions in a saucepan, and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter. Stir into the potatoes and season well with salt and pepper.