The list of Irish saints is past counting; but in it all no other figure is so human, friendly, and lovable as St. Patrick - who was an Irishman only by adoption.

Gwynn contrasts the vast, almost ungraspable roll of Ireland’s saints with the singular popular appeal of Patrick. The praise—“human, friendly, and lovable”—suggests that Patrick’s enduring cultural power lies less in remote ascetic sanctity than in an approachable personality and a story that invites identification. The closing clause underscores a historical point: Patrick was not ethnically Irish but became Ireland’s patron through mission and memory. In doing so, the quote frames Irish identity as something that can be adopted and earned through service, and it hints at how national traditions often elevate a figure whose life bridges outsider origins and insider belonging.