In the Days of Saint Patrick

At the dawn of the 1920s, J.B. Carrickford’s 'In the Days of Saint Patrick' emerged as a seminal hagiographic epic, meticulously reconstructing the spiritual metamorphosis of Hibernia. The narrative arc transcends mere biography, tracing the Bishop’s odyssey from the shackles of enslavement to the vanguard of an ecclesiastical revolution. As Patrick navigates the verdant, often hostile terrains of ancient Ireland, the film captures the systematic establishment of missionary settlements—not merely as outposts of faith, but as foundational pillars of a nascent national identity. The cinematic lens lingers on the juxtaposition between the primordial druidic rites and the luminous, structured liturgy of the arriving Christians. Through a series of vignettes featuring a sprawling ensemble—including Herbert Mayne and Maude Hume—the plot explores the diplomatic intricacies of converting high kings and the logistical fortitude required to anchor a new theology within the rugged soil of the Atlantic fringe. It is a story of topographical sanctification, where the very rocks and glens are reclaimed through apostolic fervor.