asked the Minister for Finance if he will consider purchasing St. Patrick's Island off Skerries as a historic island for the nation, as it is well known by historians that St. Patrick landed and stayed on the island in 434 for some time.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Purchase of Island.
57.
The national monument known as the "remains of the church on St. Patrick's Island" is protected by a preservation order and it is not proposed to purchase the island at present. The church is believed to have been built about 1130-40.
Is there any truth in the rumours circulating around Skerries that the Minister's Department released 36 cats on the island to get down the rat population——
Were they cool cats?
——and that, in fact, the rats are the cats? Is there any truth in that rumour?
My Department has many resources at its disposal but not a number of cats.
Could the Minister draw the attention of his colleague, Deputy Burke, to the fact that the precise movements of St. Patrick are matters of historical controversy including, if I may say so, his funeral, which might be appropriate here, and that historical scholarship, I understand, differs as to whether there was no St. Patrick, one St. Patrick or two St. Patricks? Further, would the Minister for Finance utilise the influence of his colleague the Minister for Education to provide a reading list for Deputy Burke on the history of the existence or non-existence of St. Patrick?
Arising out of the Minister's reply and Deputy Thornley's help, may I say that I went to a great deal of trouble——
(Interruptions.)
Order. Deputy Burke on the question.
I am dealing with a very sacred matter—St. Patrick, who brought Christianity to Ireland but apparently we will have to Christianise some still. Deputy Thornley wants to know how many St. Patricks there were and, with your permission, I may say that as far as I am concerned there was only one but he did leave a few snakes after him and if he came back again he would banish them. I am thankful to the Minister for the reply and hope that he will look after this sacred island. I do not remember the time St. Patrick arrived there but I am quite sure that my historians have told me the truth.
Was the Deputy around when he arrived?
He must have been the only constituent that the Deputy did not know.
I think we might have to get him back again.
There are a few serpents left yet.