St Patrick is one of the best-known and best-loved saints in the world. His life and legacy is ingrained in Irish history and society, as the annual 17 March celebrations across the globe show. John Killen brings together the legends, folklore, traditions and stories that have been associated with St Patrick across the centuries. JOHN KILLEN was born in Belfast and, up until his retirement in 2014, he was Deputy Librarian and then Librarian of The Linen Hall Library. He is the author of many books, including The Irish Christmas Book and The Unkindest Cut: A Cartoon History of Ulster 1900–2000, as well as books on the Irish Famine and the United Irishmen. St Patrick – his life, writings and legacy – is a long-term interest.