St. Piran's Day facts for Plymouth Cornish folk
Dydh sen Pyran
Cornish Day for the Cornish patriots
Part of Plymouth lies in Cornwall(Saltash and Torpoint). So you may not know on what day does St Piran's Day fall-When is St. St Piran's Day?
Well, St Piran's Day falls on 5 March. What does the flag of St Piran look like? The flag of St Piran is also the Cornish flag - a white cross on a black background. The cross symbolises the discovery of tin by the saint as the white metal flowed from the black rock.
Who was St Piran?
St. Piran is the patron saint of Cornwall (Cornish: Kernow), the southern most part of Great Britain. St Piran is the most famous of all the Irish saints who came to Cornwall and is said to have discovered tin. St Patrick is also said to have visited Cornwall.
The Legend:
Legend has it that St.Piran sailed to Cornwall on a millstone.Originally it had been tied around his neck and he had been cast into the Atlantic Sea by people jealous of his power to heal and work miracles.
As he was thrown off the cliff there was a deafening bolt of lightning and a terrible crash of thunder, but as he reached the sea the storm suddenly abated, the sun came out and St.Piran could be seen floating peacefully on the millstone which was now resting on the surface of the water.
The millstone bore him safely across to Cornwall and he landed between Newquay and Perranporth at Perran Beach, to which he gave his name for posterity.
Piran built himself a small chapel in Penhale sands and his first disciples were said to be a badger, a fox and a bear, in the days when bears stilkl roamed the UK.
