Brewer's: Patrick

Chambers says, “We can trace the footsteps of St. Patrick almost from his cradle to his grave by the names of places called after him.” Thus, assuming the Scottish origin, he was born at Kil-patrick (the cell of Patrick), in Dumbartonshire; he resided for some time at Dal-patrick (the district of Patrick), in Lanarkshire; and visited Cragphadrig (the rock of Patrick), near Inverness. He founded two churches, Kirk-patrick in Kirkcudbright, and Kirk-patrick in Dumfries; and ultimately sailed from Port-patrick, leaving behind him such an odour of sanctity that among the most distinguished families of the Scottish aristocracy Patrick has been a favourite name down to the present day.

Arriving in England, he preached at Patter-dale (Patrick's valley), in Westmoreland; and founded the church of Kirk-patrick, in Durham. Visiting Wales, he walked over Sarn-badrig (causeway of Patrick), which now forms a dangerous shoal in Carnarvon Bay; and, departing for the Continent, sailed from Llan-badrig (church of Patrick), in the isle of Anglesea. Undertaking his mission to convert the Irish, he first landed at Innis-patrick (island of Patrick), and next at Holm-patrick, on the opposite shore of the mainland, in the county of Dublin. Sailing northwards, he touched at the Isle of Man, called Innis-patrick, where he founded another church of Kirk-patrick, near the town of Peel. Again landing on the coast of Ireland, in the county of Down, he converted and baptised the chieftain Dichu on his own threshing-floor, an event perpetuated in the word Saul- i.e. Sabbal-patrick (barn of Patrick). He then proceeded to Temple-patrick, in Antrim; and from thence to a lofty mountain in Mayo, ever since called Croagh-patrick. In East Meath he founded the abbey of Domnach-Padraig (house of Patrick) and built a church in Dublin on the spot where St. Patrick's Cathedral now stands. In an island of Lough Derg, in Donegal, there is St. Patrick's Purgatory; in Leinster, St. Patrick's Wood; at Cashel, St. Patrick's Rock. There are scores of St. Patrick's Wells from which he drank; and he died at Saul, March 17th, 493. (Book of Days.)

St. Patrick's real name was Succat, changed first into Cothraige, then to Magonus, and afterwards (on his ordination) to Patricius. (See Dr. Todd, in the Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, vol. vi.)

Source: Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, E. Cobham Brewer, 1894

Patrick's Cave

Patrician