Who was St Piran?

Whilst St Piran’s origins are uncertain, legend has it that he was exiled from Ireland in the fifth century. In fact, he offended the Irish rulers so much that he was tied to a millstone and thrown into the sea! By a miracle, he floated to Cornwall, where he landed at Perranporth near Newquay.

Some 1,500 years later, you can still see the ruins of the little chapel he built on the beach there.

So why is he the patron saint of tin miners? According to the story, he discovered tin smelting by accident. He was using a slab of black ore as a hearthstone when, quite unexpectedly, molten tin began seeping out of the rock. He watched in amazement as the liquid metal flowed into a cross shape.

A white cross on a black background became his banner and lives on as the flag of Cornwall.