{"id":564,"date":"2023-02-24T09:00:57","date_gmt":"2023-02-24T09:00:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cornishcottageholidays.co.uk\/blog\/?p=564"},"modified":"2023-08-16T16:20:41","modified_gmt":"2023-08-16T15:20:41","slug":"who-was-st-piran","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cornishcottageholidays.co.uk\/blog\/who-was-st-piran\/","title":{"rendered":"Who was St Piran? A Guide to Cornwall’s Patron Saint"},"content":{"rendered":"

St Piran’s Day is celebrated in Cornwall on the 5th of March each year. Across Cornwall there are parades, dancing, singing and music to honour the Cornish patron saint.<\/strong><\/p>\n

To celebrate, we have created a short guide to St Piran, from where he came from to how he came to be such an important figure in Cornwall.<\/p>\n

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Who Was St Piran?<\/h2>\n

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St Piran was an Irish Bishop, who was thought to have been alive during the early 6th century. During his time in Ireland it is believed that he performed a number of miracles, including bringing soldiers back from the dead. Unfortunately he was exiled by the Kings of Ireland, who bound a mill stone to his neck and threw him into the sea. Despite this, he somehow managed to float to Cornwall and washed up on shore of a small beach near Newquay<\/a> – Perranporth<\/a> (Peran being Piran in Cornish).<\/p>\n

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What Did St Piran Do?<\/h2>\n

On Perran Beach he built a small chapel, whose remains are submerged in the sands and are still somewhat visible now. It is believed that his first converts were a badger, a fox and a boar. Once word began to spread, people would come from miles around to visit his oratory and listen to him preach there.<\/p>\n

St Piran was also known for liking a good drink, which is where the phrase ‘as drunk as a Perraner’ is believed to have come from. Legend has it he survived to the grand old age of 206 years old.<\/p>\n

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Why is St Piran Patron Saint of Cornwall?<\/h2>\n

St Piran is also believed to have accidentally discovered tin, earning him the title of ‘Patron Saint of Tinners’. Tin mining was one of the leading industries in Cornwall for hundreds of years and the Cornish flag is thought to have been inspired by black of the ore and the white of the hot tin. Another interpretation is that the white cross of the flag against the black background represents truth shining through darkness. It is thought to be a reference to the early form of Christianity St Piran brought with him to Cornwall.<\/p>\n

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How is St Piran’s Day Celebrated in Cornwall?<\/h2>\n

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Since the revival of Celtic traditions at the end of the 19th Century, St Piran’s Day has been a popular celebration across Cornwall. There are marches, dances, festivals and plenty of Cornish-themed events.<\/p>\n

St Piran’s Day Events 2023<\/h2>\n

St Piran’s Festival in Redruth<\/a> – Sat 4th March<\/h3>\n