"Patrick: A Slave to Ireland" RTÉ Documentary Premiere with ND Dublin
"My name is Patrick. I am a sinner, a simple country person. I am looked down upon by many." - PATRICK, Confessio 1
In a challenge to the conventional narrative, Patrick: A Slave to Ireland places British-born Saint Patrick in his European context and shows how Ireland’s patron saint was part of a radical Christian movement that converted not only the Irish at the edge of the earth, but also large swathes of Europe, to Christianity. This epic documentary vividly brings to life the pre-Christian culture that preceded Patrick’s arrival in Ireland and reveals how the Irish church he founded became a catalyst in reseeding classical learning, science and philosophy throughout Europe.
The University of Notre Dame Dublin and the Notre Dame Newman Center for Faith and Reason will host the premiere of new RTÉ documentary Patrick: A Slave to Ireland, directed by Ruán Magan.
Thursday 13 March at 7:30 pm GMT (doors open at 7:15 pm)
Newman University Church, 87A St. Stephen's Green (Dublin, Ireland)
The premiere will include introductions by Ambassador Paul Johnston, British Ambassador to Ireland, and director Ruán Magan, with music from the film by composer Natasa Paulberg and members for the Newman Vocare Ensemble.
Tickets are available via Eventbrite here. (Please note that this screening is taking place in Dublin, Ireland, and will not be available to watch remotely.)
The film will run for 59 minutes, followed by a reception.
More on the film:
One thousand five hundred years ago the man we know today as Saint Patrick decided to take upon himself an extraordinary mission: he would bring this Christian faith to the people of Ireland who were then considered to be a barbarian race living at the very edge of the world.
Patrick’s relationship with the Irish was complex. As a young man he was kidnapped from his wealthy family in Roman Britain, a victim of human trafficking, and taken to Ireland where he lived as a slave for 6 years. After his escape he studied in Britain to become a priest and then, despite the dangers involved, returned to Ireland.
His decision had seismic repercussions for the Irish and for Europe as a whole. In Ireland, Patrick’s Christianity united the divided Irish tribal kingdoms under the umbrella of a new culture. And in the years that followed Patrick’s death, legions of Irish monks chose to depart the great monasteries of Ireland to travel to Europe where they shared their faith and learning widely. Monks like Columbanus, Gall and Colmcille collaborated with continental counterparts to lay foundations from which modern Europe would emerge.
Based on Patrick’s own writings which have survived since the C5th, this documentary strips away the myths and legends to reveal who this man truly was. Produced by Ruán Magan and the creative team who made The Irish Civil War, The Hunger, The Cable that Changed the World and 100 Years of Ulysses, beautifully filmed across Ireland and Europe and featuring insights from leading scholars, and an original soundtrack composed by Natasa Paulberg, Patrick: A Slave to Ireland is a major landmark production for all ages.
The documentary will air on RTÉ and BBC on March 17 and on ARTE on March 22, 2025.