It’s nearly St Piran’s Day…

Saint Piran's Day, March 5, is the national day of Cornwall with this years celebration falling on a Saturday and, after the restrictions of the last couple of years, will be an opportunity for the whole community to come together to celebrate.

This year the festivities will be centred at the Princess Pavilion, which is now back in the ownership of Falmouth Town Council.

At 10am a walking and dancing parade will leave Queen Mary Gardens and go along the seafront.

There will be musicians and entertainers.

The parade will go into Gyllyngdune Gardens and to the Princess Pavilion where there will be live music, dancing and family entertainment.

This will include story-telling, singing, art workshops, rock pooling, origami and ‘Cornish’ stalls.

There will also be food and drink including a licensed bar.

  • A little bit of background to why we celebrate St Piran’s Day...

Legend tells of Piran’s arrival in Cornwall from Ireland during the 5th century. After a disagreement with King Aengus of Munster, Piran was tied to a millstone and thrown off the Irish cliffs into a stormy sea.

The sea became calm and the millstone miraculously floated and brought him to Cornwall, where he washed up on Perranporth beach.

He spoke only Irish and the locals spoke only Cornish, but he still gathered disciples.

His first followers were said to be a badger, a fox and a boar.

One evening, followers had gathered around a fire to listen to Piran when he saw a rock glowing.

He hit it with his staff and silver liquid poured out in the form of a cross.

The silver liquid was tin. This white cross on a black background became the St Piran's Flag; the emblem of the Cornish tinners and the Cornish national flag. Piran’s followers built a small chapel in the sand dunes, which has recently been excavated from the sand at Perranporth.

Everyone is welcome to come along on Saturday, March 5 to hear more about St Piran and join in with the celebrations for some or all of the day.