Snakes on a terrain in Kildare
THE myth is that St Patrick drove the snakes out of Ireland, but scientists will tell you Ireland has always been devoid of snakes. But what if the mythology is right? Irish author and filmmaker, Bob Quinn (www.conamara.org), says there’s truth in the snake tale and that Naas, in Co Kildare, whose symbol is the serpent, might have been the location of the showdown.
“When I was writing my book, the Atlantean Irish: Ireland’s Oriental and Maritime Heritage, I came across this gnostic sect, the Naasenes, who worshipped snakes. Before Constantine recognised Christianity (early 300’s AD), there were 156 sects and cults, which were interpreting the Christian message in their own way, and one of these was the Naasenes.” The Naasenes, from North Africa, didn’t recognise the ‘official Church’ and were facing persecution. Quinn believes the Naasenes settled in Ireland, far from the Roman Christian Church, and specifically in Naas, which has long used the snake as its symbol.
