Saint Guirec

Saint Guirec (c. 6th century), according to oral tradition, was a Welsh monk who sought to establish a monastery in Celtic Brittany.

He allegedly arrived in Brittany in a stone trough pulled by angels, landing on the small beach that now bears his name.

A shrine first built in the 12th century called L'Oratoire de Saint-Guirec (the Oratory of Saint Guirec) stands in the bay at Ploumanac'h with a chapel on the facing beach.

The tradition of putting a pin in the nose of the saint's statue is said to encourage Guirec to acquire the blessing of a marriage within one year for the young pilgrim.

Saint Guirec is commemorated locally by the Roman Catholic Church in Brittany in conjunction with a traditional Breton Pardon ceremony on the eve of the Feast of the Ascension of Christ into heaven.