Saint Patrick's life has been debated by historians and scholars who have reinterpreted the source material written by Tirechán and Muirchú on Patrick. Patrick's own writings, Confession and Letter to Coroticus have also given historians much to wrestle with. There are conflicting academic theories to support the existence of one, three or five different Patricks and indeed one theory which claims there was no Patrick. Patrick's written confession has been extensively analysed by scholars seeking to identify the exact location of Patrick's birth, and to establish the social status of his parents.

Patrick is presented as an irascible, argumentative egotist who cursed and struck people dead when they offended him. He is also presented as a relentess paragon who banished snakes from Ireland and persevered in bringing Christianity to pagan Ireland. At one point, three different places in Ireland competed as the burial place of the saint, with Saul, Downpatrick and Armagh all purporting evidence. Saul is now agreed as the burial place.

With a plethora of myths and legends and relics, it would be easy to cynically dismiss Patrick as another Cuchalainn: a fantastic legend without any truth or proof. Fortunately, Patrick's own Confession provide a personal and emotional account of his life and achievement in Ireland. The words are Patrick's own and are much more reliable than the numerous reinterpretations and mistranslations. The Confession was written in Latin by Patrick a few years before his death. Reading the entire piece or even selecting extracts allows us insight into Patrick's own interpretation of his mission and life. His humility, resilience, sincerity and tenacity come alive when we read the Confession. Much has been written about Patrick's poor standard of Latin, but to concentrate on the use of grammar and syntax overlooks the honesty and impact of Patrick's moving words. He defines himself as an unworthy sinner who has faced death, ridicule and persecution, trusts entirely in God and rejoices in the life he has been given:

Ego Patricius peccator rusticissimus et minimus omnium fidelium et contemptiibliis sum apud plurimos.

I am Patrick, a sinner, most unlearned, the least of all the faithful and utterly despised by many.

Patrick was born about 385 on the west coast of Wales. By reading the Confession, we learn that Patrick's father Calpornius was a deacon. When he was sixteen, Patrick was kidnapped and taken to Ireland "with many thousands of people" by Irish pirates. He was sold as a slave and sent to tend sheep on a mountain for an Irish chieftain. Patrick recorded that "we deserved this fate because we had turned away from God; we neither kept his commandments nor obeyed our priests who used to warn us about our salvation".

Six years as slave shepherd changed the carefree boy into a deeply religious man who possessed a steadfast faith in God. Patrick wrote that he used to pray often during the day and night. His love of God and reverence for God grew stronger.

After six years, in response to a voice Patrick heard in his sleep, he escaped from bondage and after a journey of 200 miles, he got onto a boat and made his way to France. When he later returned to Britain, Patrick's family were overjoyed that he was alive and wanted him to promise that he would never leave them again.

He had a dream in which he described the moment of vocation:
" One night I saw a vision of a man called Victor. who appeared to have come from Ireland with an unlimited number of letters. He gave me one of them and I read the opening words which were - 'The voice of the Irish'. As I read the beginning of the letter I seemed at the same moment to hear the voice of those who were by the wood of Voclut which is near the Western Sea. They shouted with one voice- 'We ask you, boy, come and walk once more among us'. I was broken-hearted and could read no more, and so I woke up. Thanks be to God, after many years the Lord gave to them according to their cry".

Patrick interpreted the dream as a call from God to become a missionary to the pagan Irish. The efforts of Patrick's parents to induce him to stay in Britain were unsucessful.

To prepare for the Irish mission Patrick left Britain and went to France. Most of this period or preparation was spent at Auxerre (about 100 miles from Paris) where he was ordained deacon about 417, and continued his training under the guidance of Saint Germanus of Auxerre. In 429 Pope Celestine I sent Saint Germanus to Britain to deal with a heresy problem. While in Britain, Germanus discussed the possibility of a mission to Ireland. Patrick, whose desire to go to Ireland was well known, was mentioned as a suitable man to put in charge of it. Patrick was opposed and in 431 a deacon called Palladius was consecrated bishop and commissioned to go to Ireland. Palladius went to Ireland and began his missionary work but he died within one year. Patrick was consecrated bishop in 432 and went to Ireland.

Patrick does not go into detail about his work in Ireland. Indeed he says "it would be tedious to give a detailed account of all my labours or even part of them". It is clear he met with many different hardships in Ireland. He thanked God who rescued him twelve times when his life was in danger, and goes on to say: "I came to the Irish heathens to preach the Good News and to put up with insults from unbelievers; I heard my mission abused, I endured many persecutions even to the extent of chains; I gave up my free born status for the good of others". He acknowledged that he was very much in debt to God who gave him so much grace that through him many people were born again in God and afterwards confirmed, and that priests were ordained for them everywhere.

Patrick concluded his Confession with a prayer for perserverance:
"I ask God for perserverance, to grant that I remain a faithful witness to him until my passing from this life... I pray those who believe and fear God, whosoever deigns to look at or receive this writing which Patrick, a sinner, unlearned has composed in Ireland, that no one should ever say that it was my ignorance if I did or showed forth anything however small according to God's good pleasure; but let this be your conclusion and let it be thought that - as is the perfect truth - it was the gift of God".