Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig ar chlann mhór dhomhanda na Fanpop!

...What dazl said!

In re-reading the articles I'd posted, I saw a mention that the "Irish have observed this day as a religious holiday for thousands of years"...which begs the question: what was being celebrated on this day before Patricius came to the island (since that was less than two thousand years ago)?

I'm going with nothing. Paddys Day only started after Patricius' canonisation by the Catholic Church.