Saint Piran was a 5th-century monk and abbot, likely of Irish origin, who is recognized as the patron saint of Cornwall and tin-miners. According to tradition, he was expelled from Ireland for his preaching and miraculously reached the Cornish coast after being cast into the sea with a millstone. He established a religious community at Perranzabuloe, where he served as abbot. His legacy is deeply tied to Cornish identity, symbolized by a black and white flag representing the tin-smelting process he is said to have rediscovered.