St Patrick is revered as the patron saint of Ireland. His work there as a missionary in the fifth century swept away the old pagan beliefs and established Christianity. The faith he brought to Ireland has remained at the heart of the country's culture ever since, and St Patrick's fame has never faded. Today this former slave turned bishop is perhaps the world's most celebrated saint. In his own words Michael Sheane relates the events of Patrick's life as they appear in The Tripartite Life, an account written in Irish by three monks about the turn of the tenth century.