Gorsedh Kernow – The Celtic spirit of Cornwall
Press release for immediate use issued Wednesday 27th February 2019
“Let’s all celebrate St Piran” says the Grand Bard of Cornwall
“It’s wonderful to see so many people planning St Piran events, taking place soon all over Cornwall and beyond.”
Grand Bard of Cornwall Elizabeth Carne, Melennek, was busy putting the finishing touches to her St Piran’s speech, her first since becoming Grand Bard of Gorsedh Kernow back in September, and was delighted to see just how far and wide the celebrations had spread.
“Cornwall is unique with a culture and heritage to be proud of. Our precious language is a special part of that culture and was spoken on these islands long before English,” said the Grand Bard.
Mrs Carne expressed gratitude to the language revivalists and to those people who over time had helped gather the remembered words from the living language of Cornwall.
“When Piran landed in Cornwall it is the language he would have heard. It is all around us still in Cornwall in our place names and in many of our family names. It is spoken now by more and more people and we should all embrace the language to ensure it has a bright future.”
To mark St Piran 2019 the Grand Bard announced the launch of “Viaj an Delow”, a short film about the journey of a specially commissioned granite statue of St Piran from Mabe Quarry in Penryn to the Vallée des Saints in Brittany. It was filmed by Cornish bard Stephen Gainey, Mab Hirnans, a well respected local businessman and fervent Cornish speaker who died recently and in whose honour the film was being launched.
“So let’s go forward and celebrate St Piran and the Cornish language Kernewek,” said the Grand Bard, “and I wish everyone Gool Peran Lowen!”
****** end of press release
Gorsedh Kernow exists to maintain the national Celtic Spirit of Cornwall and to give expression to such spirit, to encourage the study of Cornish history and literature, the Cornish language, to foster Cornish art, music, dance and sport and to link with other Celtic countries.
Gorsedh Kernow exists to maintain the national Celtic Spirit of Cornwall and to give expression to such spirit, to encourage the study of Cornish history and literature, the Cornish language, to foster Cornish art, music, dance and sport and to link with other Celtic countries.
To view the new Gorsedh Kernow film about the journey of the St Piran statue from Mabe Quarry in Penryn to Vallee Des Saints in Brittany please follow this link https://gorsedhkernow.org.uk/videos.html
To view a comprehensive list of St Piran 2019 events please see the special page on the Gorsedh Kernow website https://gorsedhkernow.org.uk/stpirans.html
For further information about Gorsedh Kernow please contact Delia Brotherton, Myrghwyn Melynor, Honorary Secretary, Gorsedh Kernow,
email hon.secretary@gorsedhkernow.org.uk
or visit our website www.gorsedhkernow.org.uk
You can also follow Gorsedh Kernow on Facebook and Twitter.
*************************