Biography
Piran's family origins are obscure; tradition says he came from Ireland. Spent his youth in south Wales where he founded a church in Cardiff. Received religious schooling at the monastery of Saint Cadog at Llancarfon, where he met Saint Finnian of Clonard. The two returned together to Ireland where Finnian founded six monasteries, including his most famous one at Clonard. Piran lived there before Saint Enda on Aran Island, and then Saint Senan on Scattery Island. He founded his own community at Clonmacnoise, "Ireland's University". Cornish legend says Piran was captured in his old age by pagan Irish, jealous of his miraculous powers, especially his ability to heal. They tied a millstone around his neck, and threw him off a cliff into the sea during a storm. As Piran hit the water the storm abated and the millstone bobbed to the surface like a cork. On his stone raft, Piran sailed for Cornwall, landed at Perran Beach, built a small chapel on Penhale Sands, and made his first converts - a badger, a fox, and a bear. He lived there for years as a hermit, working miracles for the locals. Piran founded churches at Perran-Uthno and Perran-Arworthal, a chapel at Tintagel, and a holy-well called the "Venton-Barren" at Probus. He made trips to Brittany where he worked with Saint Cai. Arthurian tradition from Geoffrey of Monmouth says he was chaplain to King Arthur, and Archbishop of York after Saint Samson was exiled by Saxon invasions, though it is doubtful he ever took up his See. Pi Died: 5 March 480 of natural causes