Seiriol was a 6th-century saint and abbot who lived in North Wales. The son of King Owain Danwyn of Rhos, he was the younger brother of Kings Cynlas and Einion. He established a religious cell at Penmon Priory on Anglesey before eventually retiring to Ynys Seiriol, also known as Puffin Island. Because he traveled in the opposite direction of his friend Saint Cybi, facing away from the sun, he earned the epithet Seiriol Wyn, which means Seiriol the Fair.
Life and legend
Seiriol founded a cell at Penmon, which his royal brothers reportedly rebuilt to provide him with more comfortable housing. Legend says he maintained a weekly friendship with Saint Cybi, meeting at the Clorach wells. This meeting place is associated with the Rhyd-y-Saint railway station. In his later years, he moved to Ynys Lannog, a location that was later renamed in his honor.
Veneration and legacy
He is commemorated on 1 February in the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox traditions. In the Russian Orthodox Diocese of Sourozh, annual pilgrimages are held at his holy well in Penmon. His name survives through local landmarks, including a railway station and a tram on the Great Orme Tramway. He is also represented in a Venetian glass mosaic in Holyhead.