Ireland - Town of Westport

Westport was a buzzy little town - a little larger than others we drove through.

Excellent food and atmosphere at a pub in Westport - JJ O'Malley's I think - maybe our fave yet for vibes. Sea bass for Brian and curry for me.

 Patrick was a Romano-British Christian Missionary, and is known as the Apostle of Ireland - he is the primary patron saint of the island. There is a pilgrimage that happens yearly, and Westport, and this statue are part of that I think. Portland stone statue of St. Patrick, depicted as a young shepherd boy, dressed in contemporary Roman clothing. When St. Patrick was 16 years old, he was captured by Irish pirates. They brought him to Ireland where he was sold into slavery in Dalriada. There, his job was to tend sheep.

The statue is on top of a Doric column, standing on an octagonal base with on the faces reliefs showing incidents in the life of the saint and inscriptions from the Confessio:

The text around the statue reads:

I am Patrick | a sinner | most unlearned | the least of all | the faithful and | utterly despised | by many
The voice | of the Irish | we ask you boy | come | and walk once | more among | us
It was then | most necessary | to cast out our | nets that a very | great multitude | might be caught | for God 
Let your | conclusion be | that my success | was the gift | of God | et haec est confessio | mea antequam moriar

The octagonal plinth and column were erected in 1845 to support a statue of George Glendenning (1770 - 1843), a country agent of the Bank of Ireland. During the Civil War, Irish Free State troops used the statue for target practice and shot off the head. In 1943 the local authority removed the statue, crests and inscription.

In 1990 the vacant column was reoccupied by the present statue of Saint Patrick and were the reliefs and texts added on the plinth.