45 St. Patrick’s Day Trivia Printable Questions and Answers
Use these fun St. Patrick’s Day trivia questions to test your knowledge about St. Patrick and the holiday celebrated in his honor.
I’ve also included a free PDF St. Patrick’s Day trivia printable with these questions and answers so you can have your very own printed version of this festive trivia game.
45 St. Patrick’s Day Trivia Printable Questions and Answers
Every year on March 17th the holiday known as Saint Patrick’s Day rolls around.
Growing up, I always associated the holiday with the color green, leprechauns and shamrocks. But honestly, I didn’t know much at all about the real meaning behind this day.
It wasn’t until I started homeschooling my kids and learning history along with them that I really started to finding out about this fascinating man known as St. Patrick.
Who was this guy, what did he accomplish, and how did he get a whole day named after him? These were the questions that I wanted to find answers for!
My husband and I also have some Irish ancestry, so that only added to some of my personal interest in this holiday.
In learning about Patrick, it soon became obvious that separating the man from the legend can sometimes be a real challenge. That’s because there aren’t a lot of reliable historical sources from the time in which he lived.
And while no doubt there are several legends mixed in with the truth about St. Patrick, there are some facts about his life and times that seem to be pretty well confirmed.
So I’ve put together this list of 45 fun trivia questions about St. Patrick’s Day to help you celebrate the life and legacy of this fascinating man!
I’ve also created a free printable down below so you can print off these questions and answers.
How to Use These Trivia Questions
You can use these trivia questions and answers in several different ways.
They would be a great tool to use as part of a school classroom or homeschool study on St. Patrick.
Combining these trivia questions with St. Patrick’s Day coloring pages and printable activities would be a great idea!
You could also use these as part of a family game night where you include trivia questions as part of the fun. You might even have a gift for the winner of the trivia game.
These questions would also go great along with St. Patrick’s Day crafts, recipes and books!
Maybe you’re just curious and want to see how much you already know about the foremost patron saint of Ireland!
These questions are divided up into several different categories so you can pick and choose which ones you want to focus on.
Don’t forget that you can download and print off a free PDF version of these trivia questions if you’d like to have a printed copy.
Affiliate links included below, which means I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you. Read my disclosure here.
Trivia Questions about St. Patrick’s Life
This first category of trivia questions covers St. Patrick’s life. See how many of these you can answer correctly!
(Much of the information for the historical questions in this section were taken from the book, Patrick of Ireland: His Life and Impact by Michael A.G. Haykin.)
1. Question: When was the most likely time period in which Patrick lived?
Answer: In the Fourth to Fifth Centuries A.D.
2. True or False: Patrick was born in Ireland.
Answer: False. He was probably born along the western coast of Britain (what’s now known as England or Scotland).
3. What was the name of Patrick’s father?
Answer: Calpornius
4. True or False: Patrick grew up in a wealthy family.
Answer: True. His father owned an estate and may have been a Senator and tax collector.
5. Question: Britain was a part of what empire during Patrick’s life?
Answer: The Roman Empire. Rome ruled Britain (known as Roman Britain) from 43 A.D. until the early 5th Century.
6. How did Patrick end up in Ireland?
Answer: He was kidnapped from his home by Irish raiders and sold into slavery.
7. Question: How old was Patrick when he was taken captive?
Answer: About 16.
8. Question: How long was Patrick held in captivity?
Answer: Six years.
9. Question: Did Patrick consider himself a Christian before he was kidnapped?
Answer: No. In his Confession, he writes, “I did not know the true God” before that time, and that he was converted while in captivity.
10. Question: What type of work did Patrick do during his captivity?
Answer: He was a shepherd.
11. Question: How many times a day did Patrick write that he prayed in a single day while in slavery?
Answer: Up to 100 times daily.
12. Question: What led Patrick to return to Ireland after escaping captivity?
Answer: He had a vision of a man asking him to return as a Christian missionary.
13. Question: What was Patrick’s role in the Irish Christian Church?
Answer: He is believed to have been the first Bishop of Ireland.
14. Question: Why do we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day on March 17th?
Answer: This is the day he is believed to have died, although this is not confirmed.
15. Question: Where is Patrick’s burial place commonly held to be?
Answer: He may have been buried at Down Cathedral in Downpatrick, Northern Ireland.
16. True or False: Patrick was canonized by the Roman Catholic Church.
Answer: False
Trivia Questions About St. Patrick Legends
There are many legends in Irish folklore surrounding the life and ministry of St. Patrick. Although there is no historical evidence to support these legends, they have persisted through the years.
17. Question: Legend has it that St. Patrick drove what animal out of Ireland?
Answer: Snakes
18. Question: According to legend, what was the occupation of the person Patrick visited and reprimanded for not being generous?
Answer: An innkeeper
19. Question: What is the meaning behind the practice of “drowning the shamrock” on St. Patrick’s Day?
Answer: Legend has it that Patrick rebuked a stingy innkeeper, and said a demon in her cellar was being emboldened by her wrongdoing. The innkeeper later changed her ways and started serving generous amounts of whiskey to guests of the inn, which caused the demon to flee. Patrick supposedly commended the innkeeper for her generosity and advised that whiskey should be consumed to commemorate this event.
20. Question: Why is St. Patrick’s Day associated with shamrocks (3-leaf clovers)?
Answer: Another legend connected to Patrick is that he used the shamrock to illustrate the doctrine of the Holy Trinity. The Trinity refers to the teaching of the Bible that there is one God who exists in three persons (Father, Son and Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost). Patrick is said to have used a three-leaf clover to teach people about the Trinity.
21. Question: According to legend, what were the two Irish groups known as Uà Néill and the AirgÃalla fighting over?
Answer: They fought over the dead body of St. Patrick, but eventually came to peace and laid his corpse in Downpatrick.
22. Question: Legend has it that Patrick spent 40 days on a mountaintop doing what?
Answer: According to the story, Patrick fasted for 40 days while battling demons.
23. Question: What is the name of the pagan chieftain who at first refused to give permission for Patrick to build a church building at Armagh?
Answer: Legend states that the chieftain’s name was Dáire and that he yielded to Patrick’s wishes after being healed by Patrick.
More St. Patrick’s Day Inspiration
- St. Patrick’s Day Coloring Pages and Free Printables
- St. Patrick’s Day Crafts, Recipes and Books
- St. Patrick’s Day White and Mint Chocolate Popcorn
- Simple St. Patrick’s Day Gift Idea
Fun St. Patrick’s Day Trivia Questions
This last section of St. Patrick’s Day trivia questions and answers covers all kinds of fun facts surrounding this holiday.
From questions about St. Patrick’s Day celebrations to Irish festive foods and lore, these questions are sure to get the green juices flowing!
24: Question: What number of leaves on a clover is traditionally associated with good fortune?
Answer: Finding a four-leaf clover is supposed to bring one good luck.
25. True or False: There are 13 towns or cities in the U.S. named Shamrock.
Answer: True
26. Question: Why is Ireland known as “the emerald isle”?
Answer: The country is well known for all of its green fields and green hills.
27. Question: Where was the first St. Patrick’s Day parade held?
Answer: The first St. Patrick’s Day parade was reportedly held in St. Augustine, Florida. Florida at the time was a Spanish colony under the authority of a clergyman from Ireland.
28. Question: When was the first St. Patrick’s Day parade held?
Answer: The first St. Patrick’s Day parade is believed to have been held in the year 1601.
29. Question: When did St. Patrick’s Day become an official public holiday in Ireland?
Answer:Â In 1903.
30. Question: What color was worn by the knights in the Order of St. Patrick?
Answer: Blue
31. Question: Which American city claims to have had the first St. Patrick’s Day celebration?
Answer: Boston, in 1737
32. Question: What is considered to be the oldest St. Patrick’s Day parade in the entire world?
Answer: The Saint Patrick’s Day parade in New York City is thought to be the oldest, having started in 1762.
More St. Patrick’s Day Trivia
33. True or False: Cabbage and corned beef are traditional Irish dishes.
Answer: False. These dishes originated with Irish immigrants to the United States.
34. Question: What is considered the national flower of Ireland?
Answer: The unofficial national flower of Ireland is the shamrock, which is actually a plant and not a flower.
35. Question: What does the phrase Erin go Bragh (pronounced ERR-in gə BRAH) mean?
Answer: Ireland Forever
36. Question: What is the highest number of leaves ever found on an individual clover stem?
Answer: 56, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. It was found in Japan.
37. Question: What city adds green vegetable dye coloring to its river every year on St. Patrick’s Day?
Answer: Chicago
38. Question: What is the name of the historic site attraction at an Irish castle that is reported to provide “the gift of the gab” (eloquence) when kissed?
Answer: The Blarney Stone
39. Question: What is the name of the mythological creatures of Irish and Celtic mythology who are said to be mischievous and mistrust humans?
Answer: Leprechauns
40. Question: According to lore associated with leprechauns, what do they hide at the end of every rainbow?
Answer: A pot of gold
41. Question: What U.S. President delivered a speech in 1954 at a St. Patrick’s Day dinner in New York City while he was still a Senator?
Answer: John F. Kennedy
42. Question: What is the capital city of Ireland?
Answer: Dublin
43. Question: How long does Dublin’s St. Patrick’s Day celebration last?
Answer: Four days
44. Question: St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated during what 40-day Christian period leading up to Easter?
Answer: Lent
45. Question: What is the name of the traditional Irish potato pancake?
Answer: Boxty
St. Patrick’s Trivia Printable Download
Want a printable PDF version of these St. Patrick’s Day trivia questions and answers? You can get that now!
Please note that these St. Patrick trivia printables are for personal use only and are not to be sold or distributed online.
Go here to download the printable trivia questions.Â
​Closing Thoughts on St. Patrick’s Day Trivia
Use these St. Patrick’s Day trivia questions for your classroom, homeschool, or just to test your own knowledge of Irish history and legends.
Using these questions is a great way to help celebrate this festive day.
I’m sure you’ll have a lot of fun going through these St. Patrick’s holiday trivia questions!
