Tryweryn

I have signed Alun Ffred Jones' Statement of Opinion on Tryweryn, which will appear here when formally tabled, in response to Liverpool Council's belated apology. The Statement reads:

Cofeb Tryweryn

Rydym ni fel Aelodau’r Cynulliad yn croesawu ymddiheuriad Cyngor Dinas Lerpwl am y cam a wnaed wrth foddi cymuned Capel Celyn ac yn gofyn I’r Cyngor gyfrannu at y gost o godi cofeb barhaol ger yr argae I gofnodi’r digwyddiad arwyddocaol hwn

Trwyeryn Memorial

We as Assembly Members welcome Liverpool City Council’s apology for the injustice of drowning Capel Celyn community and we ask the Council to contribute towards the cost of erecting a permanent memorial by the dam to commemorate this significant event.

When I was growing up in South Wales, we actually heard very little about Tryweryn. I'm glad it's now being explained on the news on a UK-wide basis. As the BBC says:

With the backing of English MP's, Liverpool City Council had driven through a Parliamentary bill approving the flooding of Tryweryn to create a reservoir providing water to the city.

It involved the destruction of a village called Capel Celyn, and the forced removal of about 70 people.

Every Welsh MP except one had voted against it, and gradually the Welsh people realised that when it came to a conflict with their bigger English neighbour, they had no control over their destiny.

The demonstrations spawned into a wider Welsh nationalist movement, and created support for Plaid Cymru which at the time was not much more than a Welsh language and cultural organisation.

The Manic Street Preachers' song 'Not Ready for Drowning' is meant to be based on Tryweryn, I'm told.