OK Let me set this straight once and for all as I have done quite a bit of original research on Irish and Celtic history.
The banishment of snakes from Ireland by St. Patrick is METAPHORICAL. What happened truly is the following:
About 431 AD The Irish Champion Patrick and the Scottish(Pictish) Champion St. Columba were matched in a game of Paganica (golf). The match was played on Irish soil at what is now known as Newgrange. In fact Newgrange was the CLUBHOUSE! It never was a place of burial or astronomical worship. It was a place to down a few cold ones after the round.
Anyway the match was even going into the back nine. On the first 5 holes of the back nine St. Columba sunk 5 consecutive putts of over 40 feet in length. Closing out St. Patrick 5 and 4. This was indeed a rarity back then as the conditions of the greens did not match the smoothness that we have in the modern game. Now in golf when you make a long , approx over 40 feet, sinuous putt it is known as a SNAKE. .St. Patrick was pissed and embarassed in front of his countrymen.
He lifted up his Baffing Spoon(golf club) shook it at the sky and declared. " Damn you Lord let there never be a snake made on Irish soild again."
And to this day if you golf in Ireland you will find you will never make a long curving putt!