The Engineering Legacy of St. Patrick

When we think of St. Patrick, the image of green shamrocks, parades, and celebrations often comes to mind, especially around March 17th, St. Patrick's Day.

However, amidst the festivities, there's a lesser-known aspect of St. Patrick's life that deserves recognition: his contributions as an engineer!

The actual details of St. Patrick’s life are somewhat murky—and over several thousand years of retelling, the details have undoubtedly been embellished or forgotten. But the most accepted version of events is that the man who was to become St. Patrick was born in what is now Scotland in the late fourth century AD. His father was a deacon in the Christian church, which at that time was widely accepted throughout Britain.

In his adult life, St. Patrick worked to spread Christianity throughout the British Isles. As part of this mission, he built churches—including the first churches in Ireland at Saul County Down (Saul Monastery), as well as the first stone Church he founded on Sally Hill (which is now occupied by St Patrick’s Church of Ireland Cathedral).

Before his arrival in Ireland, builders used a dry masonry technique that involved stacking flat stones on top of each other, gradually overlapping the stones to enclose the walls.

Saul Monastery - St. Patrick's Memorial Church

St. Patrick, however, was familiar with more Romanized forms of architecture, including the use of lime mortar. It’s also believed that he introduced the concept of arches to Irish builders, giving them the knowledge they needed to build the traditional stone churches that still exist the Irish countryside today. Because of this, the Catholic church has deemed him the patron saint of engineers.

Left Image - Gallarus Oratory - Made Using The Dry Masonry Technique

Right Image - Clonmacnoise - Made With The Romans Technique of Using Lime Mortar

While St. Patrick's engineering achievements may not be as widely celebrated as his religious legacy, at some engineering-focused academic institutions his engineering legacy lives on.

Engineers Celebrating St. Patrick's Day - 1910

At Missouri University of Science and Technology, for instance, self-styled “Knights of St. Patrick” among the engineering faculty are well-known for celebrating his accomplishments through a series of traditions during the week of St. Patrick’s Day. (https://www.asme.org/topics-resources/content/engineering-go-bragh)

So, the next time you don your finest green attire in honor of St. Patrick, give a nod to his engineering accomplishments as well!

Follow us on social media to stay up-to-date on new products and much more!