The ‘Other’ Patricks You Should Know About This St Patrick’s Day

Patrick ‘Paddy’ Hannan (1840-1925)

Paddy Hannan’s story is one of risk, reward, and colonialism. Born in Quin, County Clare, in 1840, he emigrated in 1862, seeking opportunity in the British colonies. Like many Irishmen, he turned to the goldfields of Western Australia in search of fortune.

In 1893, at 53, Hannan and his fellow prospectors Tom Flanagan and Dan Shea discovered gold near present-day Kalgoorlie. Their find, later known as the “Golden Mile,” sparked a gold rush that drew thousands of prospectors, transforming the remote outback into a booming mining hub.

However, the rush also brought conflict and dispossession. Indigenous Australians were forcibly displaced, excluded from economic opportunities, and subjected to widespread mistreatment as settlers and miners took over their lands.

Hannan died in 1925, and Kalgoorlie erected a statue in his honour, which in modern times is a frequent target of vandalism. Once hailed as a founder of the town, he remains a contested figure in Western Australia’s gold rush history.

Frances Moloney (AKA Sister Mary Patrick) (1873-1959)

Frances Moloney (née Lewis) was born into wealth and aristocracy, the daughter of an absentee landlord with ties to royalty. In 1889, she married British governor Sir Alfred Moloney, and the couple travelled widely, with Frances writing for women’s journals. After Alfred’s death in 1913, her life took a dramatic turn toward faith and service.

Returning to Dublin in 1914, she aided Belgian refugees and, in 1918, felt a religious calling after hearing Fr John Blowick speak. Together, they founded the Missionary Sisters of St Columban, preparing women for missionary work in Asia. Frances trained extensively in nursing and midwifery before taking her vows in 1922, becoming Sister Mary Patrick.

In 1926, at 53, she and five sisters journeyed to China amid political turmoil, providing medical care and vaccinations despite extreme conditions, disease outbreaks, and natural disasters. She later took over a school in Shanghai for exiled Russian children and, as superior general, returned to Ireland to recruit support.

Sister Patrick helped the first missionary sisters study medicine at UCD and remained devoted to charity and service until her death in 1959.

Patrick Lefcadio Hearn (1850-1904)

Patrick Lefcadio Hearn’s life was shaped by abandonment, resilience, and a passion for storytelling. Born in 1850 on the Greek island of Lefkada to an Anglo-Irish father and a Greek mother, he was left behind in Dublin when his parents’ marriage collapsed. Raised by his great-aunt, he developed a love for myths and legends through his caretaker’s Irish folklore.

Educated in France and England, Hearn was later sent to America at 19 with no support. Struggling in Cincinnati, he worked menial jobs until a printer recognised his talent, landing him a job at the Cincinnati Daily Enquirer. Known for his bold journalism, he married Alethea Foley, a formerly enslaved woman, defying Ohio’s segregation laws. The scandal cost him his job, and he left for New Orleans in 1877, spending a decade writing for newspapers and gaining recognition.

In 1890, a reporting assignment took him to Japan, where he found his true home. He learned the language, married into a samurai family, and became a citizen, taking the name Koizumi Yakumo. Teaching at Tokyo Imperial University, he published 15 books on Japanese myths and culture, captivating Western audiences.

Hearn died in 1904, but his legacy endures. Matsue, Japan, honours him with a museum and residence, while memorials in Ireland and Greece celebrate the Irishman who found his place in the Far East.

Patrick Leahy (1877-1927)

Patrick Leahy is a forgotten figure in Olympic history, yet his achievements at the 1900 Paris Games deserve recognition. Born in Creggane, Co. Limerick, in 1877, he came from an athletic family, with his brother Con also becoming an Olympian.

Leahy competed in the marathon at the Paris Olympics, a gruelling 40-kilometre race through the city. Though records are incomplete, he ran a strong race, steadily overtaking rivals and finishing in a respectable position. His determination left an impression on those who witnessed it.

After competing in the 1908 London Olympics, Patrick and Con emigrated to the U.S. in 1909, where Patrick continued in Gaelic sports, setting records in the Chicago AA Games. Despite his fitness, he died at just 50, his Olympic legacy fading into obscurity.

Though rarely remembered, Leahy’s story embodies the perseverance of unsung Olympic heroes, a testament to the enduring spirit of sport.

Patrick ‘Patsy’ Touhey (1865-1923)

Patrick ‘Patsy’ Touhey was a master of the Uilleann pipes, both celebrated for his musical talent and criticised for his portrayal of Irishness. Born in Galway in 1865, he emigrated to Boston as a child, where he took up the pipes at 11. By 20, he was performing with Harrigan’s Double Hibernian Co., blending Irish folk tunes with American influences. His fast, left-handed playing and innovative style set him apart.

Touhey’s fame grew through stage performances and recordings, but his appearances at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair and the 1904 St. Louis Fair drew criticism. Some Irish artists accused him of promoting stereotypes, calling his act a “vile caricature.”

Despite controversy, Touhey’s contributions to traditional Irish music were invaluable. He recorded extensively, helping preserve countless tunes that might have been lost. Without him, Irish pipe music may never have reached such a wide audience in North America.

Patrick McGoohan (1928-2009)

Patrick McGoohan was more than an actor—he was a visionary. Born in New York in 1928 to Irish parents and raised in Ireland and England, he built a career defined by intelligence, intensity, and artistic integrity.

His breakthrough came with Danger Man (or Secret Agent in the U.S.), where he played the suave but principled spy John Drake. The show’s success made him the highest-paid actor in the UK. But it was The Prisoner (1967), which he co-created and starred in, that cemented his legacy. A surreal mix of psychological drama and political allegory, the series followed Number Six, a former agent trapped in a mysterious village. McGoohan’s bold storytelling and refusal to conform to industry norms made it a cult classic.

He famously turned down James Bond on moral grounds, preferring roles that challenged audiences. Later, he starred in Columbo, Escape from Alcatraz, Braveheart (as King Edward), and voiced Billy Bones in Treasure Planet.

McGoohan’s work endures, with The Prisoner staying a touchstone for themes of individualism and control. His refusal to compromise made him a true Hollywood original.

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