Plaid Delighted with Eisteddfod, but will it have a lasting legacy?

Plaid Cymru Llanelli is delighted that the National Eisteddfod is returning to Llanelli in 2014. After the great success of the 2000 Eisteddfod, with visitors impressed by the scenic beauty of the area and wonderful setting of the Eisteddfod field. But did it have a lasting legacy for our town in terms of culture and language?

Ruth Price, Plaid Cymru Elli Town Councillor said “This year, the National Eisteddfod took place in Barry. Some Llanelli residents may be surprised to learn that Barry, in the anglicised Vale of Glamorgan, has the benefit of three Welsh-medium primary schools, one of which opened in 2011 due to high demand for Welsh education. Llanelli, a traditional urban stronghold of the Welsh language, has only two Welsh-medium primaries. The urban population of both towns are similar – so why is our Town lagging behind? The demand for Welsh-medium education is increasing in our Town. Plaid demands that Carmarthenshire County Council listens to local residents and improves their provision for Welsh-medium education in Llanelli.”

Roger Price, Plaid Cymru Tyisha Town Councillor added “I’m really looking forward to Llanelli welcoming the Eisteddfod in 2014, but I want there to be tangible benefits to our Town, both to our economy and local businesses, employment and tourism, and to our cultural life. Towns like Barry have shown us what an eisteddfod can achieve in raising the profile of Welsh and we should learn from them”.

Let us hope that 2014’s Eisteddfod will see a permanent legacy for Welsh culture and tradition in the form of a new Welsh-medium school in the heart of our town. The people of Barry can see the advantage to their children of a Welsh-medium education – let’s ensure we can give our young people the same advantage. It’s our linguistic heritage – let it benefit us all in Llanelli.