hard c, but they were themselves obliged to suffer
their own names to be softened, and the c in them
to be turned into p, and the f into gw. Thus Kieran
became Piran, and Fingar became Gwinear. The
Irish c is always sounded like k, and the Cornish
disliked this sound. When S. Kiera settled in
Cornwall she had to accustom herself to be called
Piala; and Eoghain was melted down into Euny,
and Erc softened into Erth.
Just one advantage to Cornwall did this invasion afford; by it we know the histories of the founders of churches in West Cornwall; because the Irish had the wit to preserve their records and biographies, whereas of the home-grown saints, princes of blood royal, the Cornish have not kept a single history. Consequently, if we desire to know about the early kings and saints of the peninsula, we have to ask the Irish, the Welsh, and even go hat in hand to the Bretons. It is a sorry truth, but truth it is.
How thoroughly occupied by the Irish this district was may be judged when we come to look at who the saints were.
Let us take them in order from Newquay.
First we have Carantock, the fellow-worker with S. Patrick, who assisted him on the commission to draw up the laws of Ireland. Then we have Perranzabuloe, the settlement of Kieran of Saighir. Across the ridge, four miles off, is Ladock, where he planted his nurse as head of a community of women. Some of Kieran's young pupils found it not too far to trip across and flirt with the girls at Ladock, and
