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While studying the Celtic Church, I have recently found claims of a Coptic connection to St. Patrick of Ireland. If correct, would this not show up in the Apostolic Succession?

The Coptic Church is the founder of monasticism in the world. Coptic monks traveled to Europe and settled in many regions in that continent. Monasticism came down to the Celtic Church from the Coptic Orthodox Church. The connection was through Gaul, France, where many Egyptian monks were living in a Monastery at Lerins. St. Patrick, the saint of the Celtic Church, was born in Britain as a Roman citizen. When he was sixteen, the army of the Irish King Niall, attacked the Britons and Patrick was captured. Patrick was taken then to Ireland and was enslaved. Years later, he was able to escape and sailed to Gaul, in France. From there he went to the Island of Lerins where the Egyptian Coptic monks lived. St. Patrick then lived with those monks and learned the "Coptic Christianity of Egypt". Patrick later returned to Ireland, where he once was a captive. Amator Bishop Auxerre ordained him a priest and the church flourished during his life. After St. Patrick's death, Rome turned against the Celtic Church, because it followed the Coptic teachings and practiced what its founder had learned in Gaul.

The Celtic Church followed many of the Coptic teachings. You can learn more about this connection from articles written by His Grace Abba Seraphim, Bishop of the British Orthodox Church. Also read about the origin of the Celtic Church and its relationship with the Coptic Church at http://celticsynod.org/celtic.htm.