He stands for ecumenism and cultural accommodation. He triumphed over hostility here and became an integral part of society. So the Limerick Leader praised St Patrick.
But David Trimble's description of the South as a "pathetic, sectarian, mono-ethnic, mono-cultural State", felt many regional papers, did not embody the same principles as our patron saint - and the North's First Minister received some nasty remarks in return.
The comments would be pathetic, said the Sligo Champion's editorial, if they "were being made by a Unionist backwoodsman whose horizons were limited to the farther reaches of some Loyalist housing estate in Portadown".
And the radically changed nature of society in the South in the past 25 years is "a fact which, bewilderingly, seems to have escaped the imperious glance of the Orangeman".
It would be easy, the paper said, to "dismiss Mr Trimble's remarks as a cynical tirade designed to please the grassroots at his party's annual conference", but the distinct impression remained that he believed what he said to be true.
Related comments by another Ulster Unionist, Mr Jeffrey Donaldson, were dismissed in the Donegal Democrat. He said that Protestants living in Cavan, Monaghan and Donegal often told him they felt "oppressed".
However, former county councillor Mr Jim Devenney, who the paper said is one of the most prominent members of the Protestant community in the county, said: "I don't think there is any foundation for his claims. I don't know where he's getting his evidence".
Mr Devenney said his area of east Donegal had a strong, confident and forward-thinking Protestant community living in harmony with its neighbours.
The Nationalist, in an editorial referring to Mr Trimble headlined "a proud, not a pathetic country", said "some might say there was a tinge of imperialism and the old colonising state about his remarks".
It continued: "The very week he scathingly told us we were sectarian, our people in a referendum voted against the recommendations of the Catholic Church. Just a few years ago, they voted for divorce . . .is that the mark of a sectarian state? We think not."
But antagonistic, sectarian feelings go both ways, noted the Waterford News and Star. "Even young people who grew up without any economic reliance on the UK or witnessing any of the horrific incidents that scar our historic past, are ingrained with the concept that Britain is the enemy.
"So ingrained is the antagonism towards our neighbouring nation, the Irish will gladly support other teams in rugby, soccer, cricket, or any other sport you care to name rather than shouting for the United Kingdom".
The paper's editorial continued by describing a recent sitting of Waterford City Council where the Workers' Party opposed the construction of a memorial for a 14-year-old Waterford boy who died in the first World War while serving with the British army.
While Mr Trimble's unflattering descriptions referred to the South as a singular entity, papers in the midlands this week outlined some reasons why they feel their region is the worst off in the State.
"Has there ever been a more inappropriate set of initials than BMW, the commonly used shorthand for the Border, Midlands and Western region?" asked the Leinster Express.
"BMW, the motor car, is synonymous with prestige, high performance, high value and long-term reliability. BMW, the region, of which Offaly and Laois form a part, can only dream of attaining such lofty attributes."
The Offaly Independent and the Midland Tribune said Offaly, which has the second-lowest level of disposable income in the State and has suffered a series of major job losses, should qualify for special attention. And the non-inclusion of Longford in the towns to receive a broadband network was "devastating" to the county's economic future.