Eisteddfod Again

The National Eisteddfod of Wales last visited Llanelli in the year 2000. The main events were held on the Festival Fields in the Stradey/Pwll area of town. That year it was heralded as a great success no because of visitor numbers or size, but because of how accessible the event was to the disabled, young and elderly. A large proportion of the Eisteddfod was located on tarmacked or concrete, allowing easy access and avoiding disasters like that of Swansea in 2006.

Llanelli and district put on one of the most memorable Eisteddfods in recent memory and I think the town with the help of Carmarthenshire County Council should move forward and bid for event again in either 2010 or 2012. Accessibility is not the only reason however, it will be a great opportunity to showcase the Welsh language communities that live in or nearby the town.

Moving to a more controversial topic, whether the Eisteddfod should have a permanent home. I personally believe that the National Eisteddfod should have two permanent homes, one in the north and another in the south, and interchange between the two. You may be shocked to see me write that Llanelli would be the ideal location for the home of the Eisteddfod in the south.

This festival needs to modernise to make it more accessible to all. I must commend the organisers of the festival for making it more open to English speakers, but obviously, more must be done to make the Eisteddfod a shining example of Welsh culture in this world. And we can finally throw away those wellies.