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Cofiwch Dryweryn facts for kids
Cofiwch Dryweryn (English: "Remember Tryweryn") or Wal Cofiwch Dryweryn (English: "The Remember Tryweryn Wall") is a graffitied stone wall near Llanrhystud, Ceredigion, Wales. Author and journalist Meic Stephens originally painted the words onto the wall of a ruined cottage in the early 1960s following the decision by the Liverpool City Council to commence the Tryweryn flooding, including the community of Capel Celyn to create the Llyn Celyn reservoir. Due to its prominent location, stark message, and history of repeated vandalism, the wall has become an unofficial landmark of mid Wales. The phrase "Cofiwch Dryweryn" has itself become a prominent political slogan for Welsh nationalism, appearing on T-shirts and banners, and as replica murals.
Contents
History
Background
In July 1957, following parliamentary approval, Liverpool City Council pursued the flooding of the Tryweryn Valley without the consent of Welsh authorities and against the wishes of most Welsh Members of Parliament. The council also failed to respond to formal planning inquiries presented by residents to explain their concerns with the proposal. Despite protests in Liverpool, London, and Wales, the valley was flooded in 1965, and several centuries-old communities such as Capel Celyn were lost.
Creation
In 1962 and 1963, Meic Stephens, a Welsh author and scholar, had painted numerous slogans across the South Wales Valleys. In response to the upcoming flooding of the Tryweryn Valley, Stephens decided to paint "Cofiwch Tryweryn" (sic), Welsh for "Remember Tryweryn", onto a rock. He drove around Wales with his friend Rodric Evans to find a suitable location, after which he spent fifteen to twenty minutes painting the message. The wall Stephens used is part of a ruined cottage named Troed-y-Rhiw. Because the original Cofiwch Tryweryn is grammatically incorrect, subsequent restorations of the wall have repainted the message correctly as Cofiwch Dryweryn, adding the consonant mutation.
Cultural impact
The flooding of Tryweryn itself was a pivotal moment in twentieth century Welsh nationalism, with militant groups and Plaid Cymru, the Welsh nationalist party, gaining increased support in the following years. As such the phrase Cofiwch Dryweryn has become a prominent maxim of Welsh nationalism, easily recognisable to people on both sides of the debate.
In a 2006 interview, Stephens stated that he "didn't choose the spot for any particular reason" and that he did not expect it to turn out any more iconic than his other slogans. The impact and notoriety of the message has been highlighted by the numerous occasions the wall has been the subject of vandalism and restorations, and the continuing debate regarding its protection as a Welsh cultural landmark.