Ireland never actually had native snakes after the Ice Age, so the “snakes in Ireland” are mainly legendary or symbolic rather than real animals.

Quick Scoop: Who were the “snakes” in Ireland?

When people ask “who were the snakes in Ireland,” they’re usually talking about the famous story of Saint Patrick driving the snakes out of the country. That story has been interpreted in a few different ways.

1. The literal legend (Saint Patrick and the snakes)

In the classic legend, Saint Patrick is fasting on a mountain when snakes attack him, and he chases them into the sea, banishing them from Ireland forever. Medieval writers repeated this tale as a miracle explaining why Ireland has no snakes.

Key points from the legend:

  • Saint Patrick fasts for 40 days on a mountaintop.
  • Snakes (or serpents) disturb him during this fast.
  • He uses his staff to drive them all into the sea.
  • Ireland is left with no snakes at all.

Modern science shows post‑glacial Ireland never had native snakes, so there were no real reptiles for Patrick to remove.

2. Symbolic reading: snakes as “evil” or sin

Some modern interpretations say the snakes symbolise spiritual evil or sin that Patrick “drove out” by spreading Christianity. In this view, the story is a religious metaphor, not a zoological claim.

Common symbolic ideas:

  • Snakes = evil or spiritual darkness.
  • Patrick’s preaching = cleansing or protection of the land.
  • The miracle story explains Ireland’s snakelessness in faith terms, while geology explains it in natural terms (island isolation after the Ice Age).

So in this angle, the “snakes” are not people, but forces (evil, danger, pagan demons) that Patrick overcomes.

3. Popular claim: snakes = pagans or Druids

Online discussions and some writers say the “snakes” were actually Ireland’s pagan priests or Druids, with the story representing the suppression of pre‑Christian beliefs. Snakes and serpents do appear in Celtic‑style myths and symbols, sometimes linked to older religious traditions.

You’ll often see claims like:

  • “The snakes Patrick drove out were the Druids.”
  • “Snakes” = pagan cults or serpent‑style deities.

However, some Irish folklore scholars push back on this idea. They point out that in early saint stories, Druids are named directly (not in code), and the snake‑banishing story shows up centuries later, so reading it as a secret metaphor may be anachronistic.

So, in short:

  • This “snakes = Druids” idea is popular in modern commentary and forums , but
  • It is not strongly supported by early Irish sources.

4. Mythic serpents and snake goddesses

Even though Ireland has no real native snakes, snake‑like beings show up in myth.

Examples:

  • Corra (or Corra/Corraidh) : sometimes described as a serpent or dragon‑like female figure; in some stories Saint Patrick defeats or drives her away, mirroring the “banishing serpents” theme.
  • Caoránach : a monstrous female serpent or dragon that Patrick is said to pursue to Lough Derg in some tales.

In these legends, the “snakes” are mythic beings or deities rather than historical human groups.

5. So who were the snakes?

Putting it all together, “who were the snakes in Ireland?” can be answered on several levels:

  • Not real animals : Ireland has had no native snakes since the last Ice Age.
  • In Christian legend : literal snakes in a miracle story about Saint Patrick.
  • In symbolic theology : a metaphor for evil or sin that Patrick’s mission was thought to expel.
  • In modern popular interpretation : sometimes said to be pagans or Druids, but early sources do not clearly support this reading.
  • In mythology : serpent beings like Corra or Caoránach, tied to older religious stories.

So the safest answer is: the “snakes in Ireland” are mainly a legendary and symbolic idea – not a specific group of people that historians can point to by name.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.