Mair Williams's blog

News item taken from YN COMMMEEYS CELTIAGH - CELTIC NEWS MANNIN  about the insulting proposed work of public art "Ring of Iron" that has caused so much anger in the Welsh nation.

'Wales: Controversial project put on hold'

A proposed work of public art has caused great insult and anger to the Welsh nation. So much so, that a petition signed by thousands of people has caused the project to be, " paused ". Always hoping, but not expecting success, I signed the petition along with the other thousands.

The 5000 year old mysterious Late Neolithic passage tomb of Bryn Celli Ddu is a remarkable structure. The monument appears to have begun in the later Neolithic period around 5,000 years ago, as a ‘henge’ or a ritual enclosure.  It consisted of a bank (now lost) around an inner ditch, which enclosed a circle of upright stones. The ditch originally measured 21 meters in diameter. The outer edge can still be seen and a number of stones from the inner stone circle also survive.

Political leaders in Scotland and Wales have condemned the £1 billion deal between the UK Government and the Northern Irish Democratic Unionist Party. The deal has been described as “grubby”, a “straight bung” and “unacceptable”.  First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon said the £1 billion in new funding for Northern Ireland meant any sense of fairness had been sacrificed to help Theresa May cling to power. First Minister of Wales Carwyn Jones said it had “killed” the idea of fair funding for the devolved nations. Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood called the deal a "bribe"

The National Assembly for Wales (Welsh: Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru) is set to be renamed the Welsh Parliament / Senedd Cymru. After a public consultation sixty-one percent of nearly 3,000 responses agreed to a change of name as the best option. The assembly was given the power to rename itself under the 2017 Wales Act. Last July Assembly members had unanimously backed the idea and subsequently it was put out to public consultation. Legislation on assembly reforms, which will include the change of name, are to be published by the Assembly Commission in 2018.

Arklow (Irish: An tInbhear Mór) is on the east coast of Ireland. Nine-year-old Olivia Mythen from Arklow, placed a message with a small packet of sweets in a bottle and sent it on its way across the Irish Sea. Sara McAleese found the bottle on Wallog beach, near Aberystwyth in west Wales and was surpised to find the message inside. She was able to read enough of it to see it was from an Olivia and that she was nine. Sara, a midwife in Powys, posted a photograph on a social media page dedicated to items lost at sea.

Hay-on-Wye (Welsh: Y Gelli Gandryll), is a small market town and community in Powys, Wales. Since 1988, it has been home to a literary festival, which draws thousands of visitors over ten days at the beginning of June. The scope of the festival has expanded over the years to include musical performances and film previews. Hay Festival Wales is taking place now until 4 June. In describing the event the organisers state:

A new opinion poll undertaken by YouGov for the campaign group YesCymru has shown that a quarter of the Welsh public favour independence for Wales. This surge in support rises to a third if the Conservatives increase their majority in Westminster when the UK General Election takes place on June 8. The figures reveal a major change in the views of the Welsh electorate.

The Urdd National Eisteddfod is one of Europe’s largest youth touring festivals with over 15,000 children and young people competing. This years event is being held in Bridgend, Taff-Ely between 29 May - 3 June 2017. It is a festival that celebrates the Welsh language, culture and talents of the young people of Wales. More information can be seen on the Urdd Eisteddfod website.

Early yesterday morning (May 26 2017), dragons Dewi and Dwynwen, saw their eggs hatch in the grounds of Caerphilly Castle. Two beautiful baby dragons were brought into the world. The twins are the latest addition to Cadw's family of dragons along with their parents, Dewi and Dwynwen. Brought to life by Cardiff-based prop designers Wild Creations, the twin boy and girl dragons (yet to be named)  and Dewi and Dwynwen, which weigh two tonnes each, were sculpted and moulded before being cast and built out of fibreglass.

News from the Celtic League:

It says something for the anger over the mining licence granted to Variscan Mines that a second bomb attack has been made on the organisation which has a massive 400sq km licence to develop mineral extractions in Central Brittany.