Bluiríní Béaloidis is a podcast from the National Folklore Collection at University College Dublin. It explores the rich landscape of Irish and European folk traditions. Each episode journeys through diverse cultural narratives, revealing how understanding our traditional heritage can illuminate our present and guide our future. By uncovering the stories, beliefs, and practices embedded in folklore, the podcast invites listeners to discover the depth and complexity of our shared cultural inheritance.

St. Patrick
The 17th of March is celebrated worldwide as Saint Patrick's Day, a time of parades and revelry honouring Ireland's patron saint. Beyond the festivities, however, lies a complex figure whose historical reality and mythological dimensions have become thoroughly intertwined over fifteen centuries of cultural transmission.

In this episode of Blúiríní Béaloidis, hosts Claire Doohan and Jonny Dillon from the National Folklore Collection of Ireland examine the multifaceted figure of St. Patrick, exploring both the historical person and his evolution in folk tradition. They consider the fascinating intersection between Patrick's Christian mission and the pre-Christian, Pagan traditions he is said to have confronted and transformed.

The programme examines the numerous pilgrimages still conducted in Patrick's name across Ireland, from Skerries in the east to Croagh Patrick in the west, and from Duhallow in the south to Lough Derg in the north. These devotional practices reflect Patrick's enduring influence not only in Ireland but throughout Europe, demonstrating how mythologised historical figures can become focal points for cultural and religious practices that span centuries.

This exploration reveals how the historical Patrick—a 5th-century Romano-British Christian missionary—has been transformed through layers of hagiography, folk belief, and national mythology into a multivalent symbol that extends far beyond historical reality. The narratives surrounding Patrick, including famous episodes like banishing snakes from Ireland or using the shamrock to explain the Trinity, illustrate how historical figures become mythologised through processes of cultural adaptation and reinterpretation.

Through examining the continuing veneration of Patrick, the programme illuminates how mythological processes remain active in contemporary culture, blending historical, religious, and folkloric elements into narratives that continue to evolve and resonate.