“Why did St. Patrick drive all the snakes out of Ireland?”/“He couldn’t afford plane fare.”

A St. Patrick’s Day riddle is:
 
Q: Why did St. Patrick drive all the snakes out of Ireland?
A: He couldn’t afford plane fare.
 
The joke was posted to the newsgroup alt.personals.ads on March 4, 1996.
 
A different punchline was used in 2001:
 
Q: Why did St. Patrick drive all the snakes out of Ireland?
A: Because it was too far for them to crawl!
     
 
Kith and Kin (Marshfield Area Genealogy Group, Marshfield, WI)
March/April 1996
Pg. 5:
HOW IRISH ARE YOU?
TEST YOUR I. Q. (IRISH QUOTIENT)
(...)
1. Why did St. Patrick drive all the snakes out of Ireland?
Answers:
1. He couldn’t afford plane fare.
 
Google Groups: alt.personals.ads
ST. PATRICK COMES OUT OF THE CLOSET!
Marsha Ann Folks
3/4/96
(...)
Q: Why did St. Patrick drive all the snakes out of Ireland?
A:  He was too cheap for plane fares.
 
Google Groups: alt.ascii-art
Belated St Patricks Day (jgs work)
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
3/18/97
(...)
1.  Why did St. Patrick drive all the snakes out of Ireland?\
(...)
1.  He couldn’t afford plane fare.
 
Google Groups: alt.tasteless.jokes
Why did St. Patrick drive the snakes out of Ireland?
G - P
3/18/01
He couldn’t afford plane fare.
 
Kidsjokes.co.uk (June 24, 2001)
St Patricks Day Jokes
Teacher: “Why did St. Patrick drive the snakes out of Ireland?”
Student: “Because it was too far for them to crawl.
   
16 March 2002, Rocky Mountain News (Denver, CO), “The Stretch,” pg. 1F:
Why did St. Patrick drive the snakes out of Ireland?
He couldn’t afford plane fare.
 
Google Groups: alt.humor.puns
Puns of the Weak 03-14-03
Stan Kegel
3/15/03
(...)
Why did St. Patrick drive all the snakes out of Ireland?
He couldn’t afford plane fare.  (Berta)
 
16 March 2003, Toronto (ON) Star, pg. D16:
1. Why did St. Patrick drive all the snakes out of Ireland?
(because he couldn’t afford the plane fare)
 
12 March 2004, Arizona Daily Star (Tucson, AZ), “Fried Green Potatoes? Not” by Kathleen Allen, pg. F18:
Why did St. Patrick drive the snakes out of Ireland?
He couldn’t afford plane fare.
 
Twitter
Cakes‏
@chrysanthafaye
Q: Why did St. Patrick drive all the snakes out of Ireland? A: Because he could not afford plane fare!!! Hardiharhar! Happy St. Patty’s Day!
7:28 AM - 17 Mar 2009
 
Twitter
JustGoneSystems‏
@RichardsProClng
Why did St. Patrick drive all the snakes out of Ireland?  Answer:  He couldn’t afford plane fare!
8:57 PM - 17 Mar 2009
 
Twitter
SUE WOLF‏
@thecuriouswolf2
#StPatricksDay Q. Why did St. Patrick drive all the snakes out of Ireland?A. Because it was too far for them to crawl!
1:44 PM - 17 Mar 2010
   
Google Books
Stormclouds:
New Friends. Old Differences.
By Brian Gallagher
The O’Brien Press
2013
Pg. ?:
Why did St Patrick drive all the snakes out of Ireland?’
‘Why?’
‘He couldn’t afford the plane fare!’
 
My Town Tutors
St. Patrick’s Day Jokes: Top 10 St. Patrick’s Day Jokes
Posted on March 17, 2015
(...)
20. Why did St. Patrick drive all the snakes out of Ireland?…. He couldn’t afford plane fare.