Patrick: Transforming the Green Serpent Nothing seems to be more
Irish than St Patrick. Nothing seems to be more Christian than
the life of this saint. But at the same time, it are his legends
that provide an inroad into the way Ireland was before and at
the time of Christianity’s arrival. Patrick is a veritable
mountain, rising 762 metres above sea level. The old name for
the mountain is Croghan Aigle, which some translate as the
Eagle's Peak. The word Croghan in Irish usually refers to a
conical shape, which normally implies that such type of hills
were normally set out for specific reverence, because of their
When I visited, despite the fact that this was officially
summer, the mountain was nevertheless completely – and I mean
completely – shrouded in clouds, or rather one gigantic cloud.
Even driving onwards to the next village did not allow any
glimpse of this formidable hill. Therefore returning to the car
park, it was clear that this was no time to be heroic – no-one
else in the visitor centre was eith