St Patrick's Quotes & Sayings

The prime minister of Ireland will be celebrating St. Patrick's Day at the White House. So finally the Secret Service agents will have a drinking buddy. — Conan O'Brien

So, how old were you when you discovered St. Patrick?" I teased.
"Twelve! He was bloody twelve!" Tiffa bellowed from the backseat, making everyone laugh. "When Darcy was born, he was wearing a tiny little bow tie and braces."
"Braces?" I giggled.
"Suspenders," Wilson supplied dryly.
"He has always been an absolute geek," Tiffa chortled. "That, my dear Blue, is why he's brilliant. And wonderful."
"Don't try to be nice to me now, Tiff," Wilson smiled, catching her gaze in his rear view mirror.
"All right. I won't. Did you know he was going to be a doctor, Blue?"
"Tiffa!" Wilson moaned. — Amy Harmon

Wearing of the green
On March seventeen.
Shamrocks and Irish folk
Take o'er the scene! — Richelle E. Goodrich

Here is part of an ancient Celtic prayer attributed to St. Patrick. I arise today . . . Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me. Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise, Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me, Christ in the eye that sees me, Christ in the ear that hears me. — Ken Untener

St.Patrick's Day is named for St. Patrick, the first guy to feed Guinness to a snake. — Conan O'Brien

My background is Protestant so I benefited from the great Bible teaching that was provided there. I did love the more culturally classical things, like Irish music, which I think is some of the most congregational-style music when you think of St. Patrick's Breastplate (and) Danny Boy. These are traditional Irish melodies. I think being brought up there (Ireland) gave me a sense of melody that is very attuned to congregational singing. — Keith Getty

All your sea-omens are of disaster; and of course, with man in his present unhappy state, huddled together in numbers far too great and spending all his surplus time and treasure beating out his brother's brains, any gloomy foreboding is likely to be fulfilled; but your corpse, your parson, your St Elmo's fire is not the cause of the tragedy. — Patrick O'Brian

Be sure to wear green
on March seventeen,
or else Irish leprechauns
pinch your bones clean! — Richelle E. Goodrich

Could one have a time-release epiphany, an epiphany without realizing it had happened? Or were they always trumpeted by angels and preceded by temporary blindness, Patrick wondered, as he walked down the corridor in the wrong direction. — Edward St. Aubyn

I'm Irish and I was born on St. Patrick's day. I'm lucky sevens. — Billy Corgan

Christ be with me, Christ within me,
Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort and restore me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love me,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger. — St Patrick

And He watched over me before I knew Him and before I learned sense or even distinguished between good and evil. — St Patrick

My parents sent me to a school across town, an integrated school, where I had the chance to meet and grow up with people who were from other parts of the world ... I remember feeling that I would never have anything to contribute on St. Patrick's Day. I couldn't tell the stories that they might have been telling about their forebears and I felt left out. — Isabel Wilkerson

Do you suppose it's true, that St. Patrick was a parselmouth, and his muggle friends never knew? — Dave Beard

St Patrick was a Roman Briton of good family dwelling probably in the Severn valley. — Winston S. Churchill

Try as one might to live on the edge, thought Patrick, getting into the other lift, there was no point in competing with people who believed what they saw on television. — Edward St. Aubyn

This is what we call a shamrock. It has three leaves. Do you know what it represents?"
"Luck? Amelia answered.
Lee smiled. "That's what everyone says."
Rick shrugged. "Well, I know it's Ireland's emblem."
Lee shook his head and said earnestly, "It's much more than that. It represents our religion ... who we are. When St. Patrick was trying to teach Christianity here in Ireland, he used this shamrock as an example." Lee pointed to each leaf and said, "This is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost ... "
Rick still held the clover in his hand. He looked at it and twirled it between his fingers as he said, "I'm calling this the Shamrock Case from now on. I love what it represents. — Linda Weaver Clarke

I'm Irish on St. Patrick's Day. I'm Italian on Columbus Day. I'm a New Yorker every day. — Tamara Tunie

Be still and know that I am God.
Be still and know that I am.
Be still and know.
Be still.
Be. — St Patrick

I pray to God to give me perseverance and to deign that I be a faithful witness to Him to the end of my life for my God. — St Patrick

[St. Patrick] was a terror to any snake that came in his path, whether it was the cold, slimy reptile sliding along the ground or the more dangerous snake that oppresses men through false teachings. And he drove the snakes out of the minds of men, snakes of superstition and brutality and cruelty. — Arthur Brisbane

Imagine if we were all magical leprechauns, and every wish ever made on a four-leaf clover obliged us to help others obtain their wishes. Now imagine if people simply lived like this were true. — Richelle E. Goodrich

Corned beef and cabbage and leprechaun men.
Colorful rainbows hide gold at their end.
Shamrocks and clovers with three leaves plus one.
Dress up in green - add a top hat for fun.
Steal a quick kiss from the lasses in red.
A tin whistle tune off the top of my head.
Friends, raise a goblet and offer this toast
'The luck of the Irish and health to our host!' — Richelle E. Goodrich

It's a big deal about whether or not gays can march in the St. Patrick's Day Parade and I have to say that on some level I kind of see their point. Because when you think about it, it is a real macho heterosexual event. Bunch of guys in short skirts on a cart made of rose pedals sharing a bag pipe. That's not for sissies. — Laura Kightlinger

God, my God, omnipotent King, I humbly adore thee. Thou art King of kings, Lord of lords. Thou art the Judge of every age. Thou art the Redeemer of souls. Thou art the Liberator of those who believe. Thou art the Hope of those who toil. Thou art the Comforter of those in sorrow. Thou art the Way to those who wander. Thou art Master to the nations. Thou art the Creator of all creatures. Thou art the Lover of all good. Thou art the Prince of all virtues. Thou art the joy of all Thy saints. Thou art life perpetual. Thou art joy in truth. Thou art the exultation in the eternal fatherland. Thou art the Light of light. Thou art the Fountain of holiness. Thou art the glory of God the Father in the height. Thou art Savior of the world. Thou art the plenitude of the Holy Spirit. Thou sittest at the right hand of God the Father on the throne, reigning for ever. — St Patrick

Christ with me,
Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ in me,
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ on my right,
Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down,
Christ when I sit down,
Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me. — St Patrick

They say there are only two kinds of people on St. Patrick's Day: the Irish, and the people that drive them home. — Conan O'Brien

No one gets a break from their reality. — Mathew St. Patrick

I arise today through God's strength to pilot me;
God's might to uphold me,
God's wisdom to guide me,
God's ear to hear me,
God's word to speak for me,
God's hand to guard me,
God's way to lie before me,
God's shield to protect me afar and anear, alone or in a multitude. — St Patrick

Roughly 1 in 6 Americans have Irish blood. I'd say it's probably safe to assume that the average Irish-American who only comes out on St. Patrick's Day has no idea of the sort of economic powerhouse Ireland has become. — Scott McClellan

On this day, millions of people ... throughout the world will gather to commemorate the life of Patrick, patron saint of Ireland. From his days as a slave in Ireland to his work as missionary years later, St. Patrick demonstrated a courage, commitment, and faith that won the hearts and minds of the Irish people. St. Patrick's Day also serves as a time for people of Irish descent from all traditions and religions to honor their native land and shared heritage. Their devotion to family, faith, and community has strengthened our country's character. — George W. Bush

St. Patrick's Day is the fourth biggest drinking day in America. It's not the biggest. It's right behind New Year's Eve, Fourth of July, or any Secret Service party. — David Letterman

Despair is so familiar to me; it could be banished by the sight of a beautiful mannekin in the window. It could be dispelled by the lights surrounding a tower. It would be lifted by the great ghostly shape of St. Patrick's coming into view. And then despair would come again. Meaningless, I almost said, aloud. — Anne Rice

I have a lot of fond memories of St. Patrick's Day in Chicago. Vague, but fond. — Joel Murray

On St. Patrick's Day, the traditional Irish family would rise early and find a solitary sprig of shamrock to put on their somber Sunday best. Then they'd spend the morning in church listening to sermons about how thankful they should be that St. Patrick saved such a bunch of ungrateful sinners. Nobody wore green clothing as it was considered an unlucky color not suitable for church. — Rashers Tierney

It is St. Patrick's Day. And here in Scranton, that is a huge deal. It is the closest that the Irish will ever get to Christmas. — Michael Scott

Making it [St. Patrick's Day] a great day for the Irish, but just an ok day if you're looking for a quiet tavern to talk, read or have a white wine spritzer. — Jon Stewart

I was thinking that a life is just the history of what we give our attention to,' said Patrick. 'The rest is packaging. — Edward St. Aubyn

It's simply this:
the Irish kiss,
a snog o' bliss,
be blessed luck
from any miss. — Richelle E. Goodrich

St. Patrick ... one of the few saints whose feast day presents the opportunity to get determinedly whacked and make a fool of oneself all under the guise of acting Irish. — Charles Madigan

That's what the prom is - St. Patrick's Day for the young. — Tim Tharp

The legend goes that St. Patrick drove the snakes out of Ireland. I was thinking ... that must be hard to put all the tiny seatbelts on all the snakes. — Ellen DeGeneres

I went to a Catholic University and there's something about being a Catholic-American. You know, St. Patrick's Day is, I'm Irish-Catholic. There's alcoholism in my family. It's like I've got to be Catholic, right? — Jim Gaffigan

Despair was so familiar to me; it could be banished by the sight of a beautiful mannikin in the window. It could be dispelled by the spectacle of lights surrounding a tower. It could be lifted by the great ghostly shape of St. Patrick's coming into view. And then despair would come again. — Anne Rice

We will live to see the day that St. Patrick's Cathedral is a child-care center and the pope is no longer a disgrace to the skirt that he has on. — Gloria Steinem

I do identify with St. Patrick, not just in name. He drove the snakes out of Ireland. I intend to drive the snakes out of the State House. — Deval Patrick

St. Patrick's Day is a holy day for Roman Catholics in Ireland to pray and a day for drunk people to vomit with their pants down in New Jersey. — Margot Leitman

I shall ne'er chase rainbows again,
Knowing no pot o' gold awaits at the end.
My Irish treasure is not there.
For ye, my love, abide with me here. — Richelle E. Goodrich

You mustn't touch me." Very slowly, he lowered his hand. "You need to be touched, Caitlin MacBride. You need it very badly." She girded herself with denial. "Even if it were so, I would not need it from an Englishman." "Think again, my love. We're easy with one another despite our differences. Remember our first meeting - the shock of it, the knowing? We could be good for each other." "And when, pray, has an Englishman ever been good for Ireland?" A lazy grin spread over his face. "Even I know that, Caitlin. St. Patrick himself was English born, was he not?" "But he had the heart of Eireann." "So might I, Caitlin MacBride. So might I. — Susan Wiggs

I have a rule: Anything that can be done privately does not need to be performed publicly. It's why I love the gays but I hate their parades. Actually, I hate all parades. Marching to celebrate something you're born as seems silly. (As I write this, St. Patrick's Day is in full bore in Midtown. It's delightful how celebrating a heritage requires you to pick fights with strangers and then pee in a parking garage. The upside - the sea of clover-painted drunks moving in unison - might be the only green energy I've ever seen work.) And what's the point of a parade anyway? A bunch of yahoos who share some affinity, walking in one direction? Who decided this was entertainment? For previous generations, this was called a migration, or more often, refugees fleeing for their lives — Greg Gutfeld

People think they are individuals because they use the word "I" so often, Patrick commented. — Edward St. Aubyn

We've never done a coordinated music effort. Everything else we've done has been around a holiday - Halloween, Mardi Gras, half way to Mardi Gras, St. Patrick's Day. — Craig Johnson

The shamrock is a religious symbol. St. Patrick said the leaves represented the trinity: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. That's why four leaf clovers are so lucky, you get a bonus Jesus. — Stephen Colbert

Every St. Patrick's Day every Irishman goes out to find another Irishman to make a speech to. — Shane Leslie