Captured from his home by pirates when he was a teenager, then sold into slavery in Ireland, Patrick escaped after seven years only to return years later as Ireland's famous Apostle and now the world's most celebrated Patron Saint. But did St Patrick come from Britain or Brittany? The location of St Patrick's homeland and the place where he was taken captive were lost to historical memory in the centuries after his death. In St Patrick's Confession, written in Latin, Patrick mentions certain places that have never been clearly identified...until now. A local tradition was discovered unexpectedly during a weekend stay at a small, country chateau in Brittany, France. It claims that the first building on the site was dated to the late Roman period and belonged to St Patrick's father, Calpurnius. One day, Irish pirates crept up through a local wood called Quokelunde before they attacked the estate and burned it to the ground. St Patrick's mother and father were both killed during the frenzy. Only their youngest son, Patrick, survived from the slaughter, before being abducted and sold as a slave in Ireland.This book is the fruit of four years extensive research in the search for evidence to support the Chateau's claim to fame. It combines a scholarly, historical enquiry with story-telling genius. Uniquely, this book also captures a sense of St Patrick's deep, personal spirituality and the true inspiration behind his great legacy. The reader is invited to embark on a sacred quest, entering a labyrinth of legend and tradition and share in the adventure of an exciting historical discovery. Step by step, as the journey unfolds we find ourselves drawn into an even greater mystery. St Patrick's life and our lives, his story and our story, are inextricably intertwined.
