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As we move into
spring, many of us
think of Saint Pat-
rick who Christian-
ized Ireland, green
beer, four-leafed
shamrocks and
s n a ke s b e i n g
evicted from that
fascinating island.
But is there any
basis for these
ideas? How might
we find some facts from around the year 500?
1,500 years ago! Our best sources are the
early, early copies of two documents written
by the man himself.
In the second, his ―Confessio‖ written
shortly before Patrick’s death he tells us a bit
about his life. He was born into an affluent
Christian houseful in Bannaventa Berniae on
the larger ―British‖ island. His grandfather
was a priest – a fact that reminds us that the
idea of celebate priests came around the time
the Roman patriarch separated from the Ortho-
dox (eastern) churches of Antioch, Alexandria,
Jerusalem and Constantinople. Frustratingly,
at least 140 locations on the west coasts of
England, Scotland and Wales claim to be the
location of his birth. He was not a particularly
studious or religious youth. He and many oth-
ers were captured by slave traders, and en-
slaved in Ireland for six years where he felt the
call of God. We can imagine him objecting
with that the statement that his family was
―Patrician‖ or upper-class and being taunted
with the nick-name Patrick.
In the Confessio Patrick states that he es-
caped back to his home, was ordained as a
priest, returned to Ireland and tried to follow
the teaching of the Church. On becoming a
bishop his main roles were conversion and
teaching. We know, from the ―Epistola‖ or
―letter‖ that he wrote to a king who employed
S E R V I N G T H E S C O T T I S H
C O M M U N I T Y O F
G R E A T E R V I C T O R I A
E D I T O R :
L A R R Y S C O T T St. Patrick and Things Irish
SCOTTISH NEWSLETTER
M A R C H 1 , 2 0 1 7 V O L U M E 2 : I S S U E 3
I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E
Saint Patrick—Irish 1
Upcoming Events: March 2
Saint Patrick ... Continued 3
Upcoming Events: April & Beyond 3
Contact Information Scottish Groups 4 St. David’s Day — Welsh History 5
Cultural Centre
18%
Donations accepted at:
www.victoriahighlandgames.com
Tae Victory!
$2,000,000
Victoria Scottish
Cultural Centre
slave traders that he was outraged, not by slav-
ery which was accepted, but at the capture of
newly converted Christians. His language is
―fiery‖, more like the owner of stolen property
than a compassionate priest.
How else can we learn about the man called
Patrick? Pope Celestine sent him as Bishop
Palladius to ―tend to the Christians in Ireland‖
in 431. The Irish Annals of around 500, state
that Patrick arrived in 432 but that date is con-
sidered to be too early.
Much of what was later associ-
ated with Patrick came from the
―Vitae‖ or ―Saint’s Lives‖ writ-
ten by Tírechán and Muirchu,
probably two hundred years
after Patrick’s death. This was done with the
purpose of demonstrating that, because of his
saintliness and his association with the church
in Armagh, it should be the main ecclesiastical
authority in Ireland. Both are remarkable
pieces of propaganda with minimal concern
about historical accuracy. From them come the
tales of power struggles with the druids (which
would probably have resulted in his expulsion
or death), using a shamrock (there are no four-
leafed clovers in Ireland) as a symbol of the
Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit of Christi-
anity), and expulsion of snakes. There were no
snakes in Ireland as it was separated early in
the ending of the
last Ice Age before
snakes had moved
into Europe. How-
ever these writers
would have used
snakes as the sym-
bol of non-
Christians.
But when we ignore the hagiographies (saints’
lives) Patrick’s story is no less fascinating.
Travelling around Ireland we can….cont’d p. 3
2
March 2017 Events:
Price $135 + GST;
includes tea & coffee.
1:30 - 3:30 Mondays from:
February 20 to March 27. Talks are being held at the Mary Winspear Centre on Beacon Avenue in Sidney.
March 1—St. David’s Day
The Welsh Society of Victoria held its thirty-eighth St. David’s Day lunch on February 25th at the University Club.
No event is planned on March 1st.
Full description + Registration online at www.continuingstudies.uvic.ca/peninsula
Vancouver Island Piper’s Club Association Pipe Band/Saanich Pipe Band
March 4, 2017—8:00 pm
Piper’s Club has a different
program on the first
Saturday of each month.
Cash bar. Admission $10.
Venue is Sergeants Mess,
Bay St. Armoury, Victoria.
Parking: enter from Field St.
"The Scottish Highlands 1500 - 1800" Sharron Gunn, MA — University of Glasgow
St. Patrick:
Shamrocks and Snakes 9:30—12:00 pm, March 4, 2017
Facts and Fun about St Patrick. We’ll explore our origins,
culture and some of the remarkable history and enduring
myths about our Irish, Scottish or Welsh heritage.
Fairfield United Church—Fairfield & Moss, Victoria
St Patrick’s Day: March 17
Celebration of Ireland’s
Patron Saint Communion according to the pattern of
the early Celtic Christians followed by
some facts and fiction about Ireland’s
most famous non-Irishman.
6.30pm—Fairfield United Church
Fairfield & Moss, Victoria
Vancouver Island Scottish Country Dance
Society: Workshop and Ball Saturday, March 25, 2017 Victoria, British Columbia
Morning workshops - featuring
Irene Townshend, Edmonton
and Hazel MacDonald, Nanaimo.
$35 (early registration to March 17).
Evening: Semi-formal Ball with the Tartan Players— $40
(early fee to March 17)
Info contact: [email protected]
Registration: www.viscds.ca Register early!
Victoria Highland Games
& Celtic Festival 2017 May 21-23—Topaz Park
Also activities in week prior to Games:
eg Tartan Parade, Kilted Golf Tournament, Tilted Kilt
Pubcrawl and Torchlight Clan Ceremony.
www.victoriahighlandgames.com
St. Patrick’s Ceilidh Originally planned for March 4 at
Pro Patria Legion. Cancelled by Victoria School of Irish Dance.
―Under Milk Wood‖ by Dylan Thomas March 2-4th. Directed by Alison Greene.
March 2, 7:30 pm; March 3, 2:00 pm; March 4, 7:30 pm CCPA Performance Hall—1701 Elgin Road
Tickets $16-$25. Call box office 250 595-9970. On March 2 the Victoria Welsh Society will pro-vide Welsh Cakes and tea/coffee following show.
Play is about small town life in Wales.
St. Patrick ...Continued April & Beyond:
3
Vancouver Island Piper’s Club Pipe Major Rene Cusson —
Pacific Gael Pipe Band
April 1, 2017—8:00 pm
Celtic Performing Arts Carlos Núñez in Concert (Galicia, Spain)
McPherson Playhouse, Thursday, April 6, 2017
Tartan Day Celebration
Spring Fling Social Vancouver Island
Scottish Country Dance Society
April 22, 7:30—10:30 pm
See web: www.viscds.ca
Conversational Gaelic Immersion June 5-9, 2017 — Edelweiss Club Hall
$350 per person. Pamphlet with April newsletter.
(Contact Nickie Polson [email protected] )
Irish Pilgrimage Tour October 17—November 6, 2017
Contact Vanessa Hammond
250.415.9272
See pamphlet attachment for details.
visit the Stone Age sacred sites he would have
seen, walk on Mt Slemish where he was en-
slaved, visit the site where he is reputed to
have preached in a ―sabhal‖ or barn and trace
with our fingers the cross he is said to have
etched. Anyone who would be interested in
this ―on the ground‖ experience of pre-Celtic,
early-Celtic, early-Christian Ireland is welcome to join our
October-Novermber pilgrimage. (See details below.)
One of the ―tests‖ of
sainthood is the proof
of having performed
miracles. And here I
want to suggest that the
acceptance of Irish im-
migrants into Canada
and the USA during the
1840s potato famine,
and the later erection of
St Patrick’s cathedral in
New York were indeed
a miracle; these events
changed national atti-
tudes from ―no Irish
need apply‖ for jobs or
housing, and elimina-
tion of the terms ―taking
the Micky‖ and ―Paddy wagon.‖ If the cathedral had not
been spectacularly beautiful and dedicated to this saint asso-
ciated with Ireland, persecution might well have continued
for many more decades.
In my view the best writer about
Patrick is Rev. Dr. Tomas
O’Loughlin: Saint Patrick: The
Man and his Works (London,
1999). See also his Discovering
Saint Patrick (London, 2005).
I am leading a Pilgrimage to Ire-
land: October 17th – November 6th
and if such a trip interests you,
please contact myself — Vanessa
Hammond, 250.415.9272 or email
me at [email protected]
T h e w e b s i t e
www.islandpilgrim.ca and Face-
book are both suffering from my
lack of techie skills. Are there any
volunteers to help?
Article contributed by Vanessa
Hammond who was born in
Northern Ireland and has led
tours throughout Ireland.
Photo: www.thecityreview.com/
High Cross at Clonmacnoise
monastic site. Photo by author
Vanessa Hammond.
St. Patrick’s Cathedral, NYC
Kirkin’ o’ the Tartan Service April 2, 10:00 am
St. Aidan’s United Church, Victoria
Sponsored by Sons of Scotland Benevolent Association.
For more information please contact Irene at
(250) 652-5773 or [email protected]
Fusing music from his native
Northern Spain with that of
Scotland, Ireland, Brittany and
beyond, with his hot band.
Tickets available at:
www.rmts.bc.ca/events/carlos-
nunez-2017-mcpherson-playhouse
12:00—4:00 pm, April 8th
Centennial Square Pipe band, highland dancers,
Celtic rock band, etc.
Victoria Highland Games Assoc.
4
Scottish Culture:
Saltire Society of Victoria: Contact is the Provost, Bob
Williamson 250-655-1270 or the society’s Scrivener,
Gordon Robinson 250-477-8317.
Sons of Scotland Benevolent Association: www.sonsofscotland.com For inquiries, Grand Chief is
Keith Feir. Contact 250 652-5773 or [email protected]
Victoria Gaelic Choir: The group sings in both Gaelic
and English. www.victoriagaelicchoir.com
Victoria Highland Games Association: President is Jim
Maxwell. Many volunteer opportunities exist. For info
see www.victoriahighlandgames.com
The Celtic Connection: Burnaby based tabloid publish-
ing since 1991. www.celtic-connection.com
Websites About Scotland:
Scottish Review is edited by journalist Kenneth Roy,
giving a weekly sampling of current news stories in Scot-
land. You can sign up for free. www.scottishreview.net
Rampant Scotland is a site begun in 1996 and written by
Alan Scott, a Glasgow-area resident who has lived in
Scotland all his life. He collects both news items and a
variety of photos of all things Scottish. Visit his site at
www.RampantScotland.com/letter.htm
Dance Instruction:
Brentwood Scottish Country Dancers: contact
[email protected] for more detailed informa-
tion. Classes happen at Brentwood Centre.
Vancouver Island Scottish Country Dance Society: www.viscds.ca Weekly classes for various levels of
ability. Further information may be had from Dora
Dempster, [email protected]
Bon Accord Highland Dancers: Lynne Griffith
Tel. 250 479-7804 [email protected]
Glengarry Highland Dancers: Carolyn Phillips-Cusson.
Tel. 250 758-0208 or email for information to
Kathleen Laurie School of Highland Dance:
Tel. 250 213-9627 [email protected]
Katie Dean School of Highland Dance:
Tel. 250 930-3513 or email [email protected]
O’Connor – O’Brien School of Irish Dancing
www.ocobirishdance.com
Victoria School of Irish Dance: www.victoriairishdancers.com Contact Alison Paladini
Tel. 250 888-9421 or [email protected]
Victoria Area Pipe Bands:
BC Pipers` Association. This is a volunteer driven or-
ganization serving solo Highland Bagpipers, Scottish
Drummers and Pipe Bands in British Columbia, Wash-
ington, and Oregon. www.bcpipers.org
Castle Cary Pipes and Drums.
www.castlecarypipesanddrums.ca/
443 Squadron RCAF Pipe Band. P/M Stephen Kelly
[email protected] or [email protected]
Greater Victoria Police Pipe Band. www.gvppb.com
Pipe Band of the Canadian Scottish Regiment
(Princess Mary’s). Drum Major Glen Ereaut,
Saanich Peninsula Pipe Band.
www.saanichpeninsulapipeband.blogspot.ca
78th Fraser Highlanders Pipe Band.
www.78fraservictoria.ca/ P/M Steve Kelly Sr.
2136 Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps Pipes and
Drums. www.2136cadets.ca
Vancouver Island Caledonia Pipe Band.
www.vanislecaledonia.com
Local Businesses With Celtic Flavour:
Bard and Banker Scottish Pub, 1022 Government St,
Victoria www.bardandbanker.com
Freedom Kilts, 1919 Fernwood Rd, Victoria
www.freedomkilts.com
Irish Linen Stores, 1019 Government St, Victoria
www.irishlinenvictoria.com
Irish Times Pub, 1200 Government St, Victoria
www.irishtimespub.ca
Island Bagpipe, 5775 Alder Way, Nanaimo
www.islandbagpipe.com
North of Hadrian’s Kilts and Celtic Clothing,
264 Island Highway, Victoria www.northofhadrians.com
Out of Ireland Irish Importers, 1000 Government St
www.outofireland.ca
5
―The Flag of Wales incor-
porates the red dragon,
now a popular Welsh sym-
b o l , a l o n g w i t h
the Tudor colours of
green and white. It was
used by Henry VII at
the battle of Bosworth in
1485 after which it was carried in state to St. Paul's Ca-
thedral. The red dragon was then included in the Tudor
royal arms to signify their Welsh descent. It was offi-
cially recognised as the Welsh national flag in 1959.
The British Union Flag incorporates the flags of Scot-
land, Ireland and England but does not have any Welsh
representation. Technically, however, it is represented
by the flag of England due to the Laws in Wales act of
1535 which annexed Wales following the 13th century
conquest.‖ Quote taken from: www.en.wikipedia.org/
wiki/National_symbols_of_Wales
An alternate to the Welsh
Flag is the Flag of St. David
shown to the right. It is com-
monly flown in Wales on St.
David’s Day, March 1.
The population of Wales today
is just over three million. There
are Welsh societies in many of
our Canadian cities and they
mark St David’s Day with din-
ners, parties and eisteddfodau
(recitals and concerts). In our
own city we have the Victoria
Welsh Society (Cymdeithas
Gymraeg ) wi th the fol lowing websi te :
www.victoriawelshsociety.org/ The society sponsored
a St. David’s Day Lunch on February 25. Nothing for-
mal is planned on March 1st itself but you are welcome
to pet a red dragon if you find one! L. Scott — Editor.
The Welsh are coming —
guard your leeks. Emblematic
of Wales, this onion-like vege-
table was the original Welsh
symbol prior to the daffodil
and the red dragon gaining
that status. In contrast, Scots
have embraced the Scottish
http://ovey.tk/map-uk-britain
Thistle as an emblem so we can’t dispute the plant choice
of our Celtic cousins the Welsh. At least a leek is edible!
Tradition holds that Saint David ordered his Welsh sol-
diers to identify themselves by wearing a leek on their hel-
mets in an ancient battle against the Saxons that took place
in a leek field. (The Angles and Saxons conquered England
after the Romans left in the 5th century, but did not subdue
the ―outer‖ Celtic areas of Cornwall, northern Scotland and
Wales.) Some traditionalists still wear the leek on St.
David’s Day although a battle helmet is no longer required!
March 1 is St. David’s Day (Welsh: Dydd Gwyl Dewi),
named after the patron saint of Wales. This national day
marks the traditional date of death of Saint David in 601.
Within Wales itself the festival has been a national day of
celebration since the 18th century. More recently the Na-
tional Assembly of Wales formally made St. David’s Day a
public holiday in 2000; however, it does not have bank
holiday status in the United Kingdom, despite a Welsh peti-
tion in 2007 to achieve that goal. Westminster rejected it.
David founded a Celtic monastic community at Glyn Rho-
syn (The Vale of Roses) on the western headland of Pem-
brokeshire where St. David’s Cathedral is today. His saint
status comes from his fame as a teacher and an ascetic in
Celtic Christianity. Glyn Rhosyn became an important
Christian shrine and the most important centre in Wales. As
is the case with other national saints, St David became the
symbol of Welsh nationalism. This was the case for those
people who migrated to
England or abroad.
There were 458,705 people
of Welsh descent listed in
Canada in the 2011 census.
Welsh societies promote
the Welsh language, which
has common roots with
Cornish and Breton. In
Wales itself the number of
Welsh speakers is 19% of
the population, which is
much higher than the num-
ber of Gaelic speakers in
Scotland (at less than 1%).
The highest concentration
of Welsh speakers is in the
western part of Wales.
The Scottish Newsletter is distributed just before
the end of each calendar month, as a way of sharing in-
formation among Scottish organizations and interested
individuals in the Greater Victoria area.
Our focus is on things Scottish but because of the Celtic
association with Irish and Welsh culture, we also in-
clude these Celtic traditions in notices and articles.
If you would like to be on the email mailing list to re-
ceive the Scottish Newsletter, please advise Larry Scott
by email at [email protected] Your email ad-
dress will not be shared. Distribution is by email only
and is free of charge.
