Ronan of Locronan

Saint Ronan (fl. c. sixth century?) was an Irish pilgrim saint and hermit in western Brittany. He was the eponymous founder of Locronan and co-patron of Quimper (France), together with its founder, Saint Corentin. He is also celebrated in the parish of Kilronan, Ireland

From Locronan to Quimper The village of Locronan (lit. "the place of Ronan"), which is located about 17 km northwest of Quimper, owes its name to its reputed founder, the Irish pilgrim Ronan. To judge by his entry in the cartulary of the abbey of Quimper, he is known to have been venerated at Locronan since at least the 1030s.

At some later stage, his remains were translated to the nearby abbey of Quimper, whose patron saint was St Corentin. This must have occurred by 1274 at the latest, when the abbey produced an inventory mentioning the saint's body and head among its cherished relics.

La grande Troménie The Grande Tromenie happens every six years, with Petite Tromenies every year. The tromenies are the Locronan equivalent of the "pardons" which take place throughout Brittany. The Grande Tromenie goes around the hill tracing the boundary of the 12th-century Benedictine priory. The priory was a place of retreat, thus the name of the "pardon" is Tro Minihi or "Tour of the Retreat", Gallicized as Tromenie.