Patrick felt called by God to journey back to Ireland to bring Christianity to the Celtic people.

According to an article by Mary Bellis, there is more to the shamrock and St. Patrick, than some may know.

Patrick, whose British land was invaded and conquered, was taken into slavery at the age of 16. The traditional story is that while praying one night, he heard a voice that told him to escape to a ship he would find some 200 miles away, which he did.

Later on Patrick felt called by God to journey back to Ireland to bring Christianity to the Celtic people. He became a missionary in Ireland, traveling from village to village sharing his faith.

The significance of the shamrock supposedly stems from a time Patrick was trying to communicate the Gospel to members of a tribe who had difficulty understanding the Trinity.

Mary writes...

Patrick thought a moment, then stooped down and picked one of the plentiful shamrocks growing wild around Ireland. "Here are three leaves," he said, "yet it is one plant. Imagine the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit as each of these leaves. Here they are, yet they are one plant." The tribesmen understood, because Patrick had used a familiar object to explain. From that time on, the shamrock has been a revered symbol of Ireland.

March 17th was the day Patrick died, and it was marked as a day of mourning. Patrick later became the patron saint of Ireland. The day of mourning has since turned into a day of celebrating the life of this remarkable Believer.

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Source: Inventors/About.com