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On October 17th 1660, Colonel John Jones (often referred to as Jones Maesygarnedd ) was executed for killing the king.
A staunch parliamentarian at a time when most of Wales was Royalist, during and after the English Civil War (1642–1651), Jones, a brother-in-law of Oliver Cromwell, was one of the fifty-nine signatories to King Charles I’s death warrant (a group referred to as the regicides). He was therefore in grave danger when Charles II was restored to the throne in 1660 and was described as “‘the most hated man in North Wales”.
Jones was arrested, found guilty of regicide and on October 17th, was hanged, drawn and quartered, a fate which, he faced with considerable bravery.
It is reported that throughout his trial, he conducted himself in a dignified manner and when the Judge pronouced sentence of death upon him he bowed and prayed that the Lord would give him the strength to face his fate in such a manner as becomes a Christian. Nor could he at the scaffold be induced to retract his words, saying instead that Charles I had betrayed his country and was deserving of death.
Jones had been a captain in the parliamentarian army and was involved in the storming of Laugharne castle, the siege of Chester and the surrender of Anglesey. After the war, he served in Cromwell's paliament as MP for Merioneth, an alderman of Denbigh, commissioner for North Wales and one of three commissioners to Ireland.
Born on this day 1864 in Llandrygarn, Anglesey
Sir John Morris-Jones - a poet and Professor of Welsh at Bangor University, who is credited, as helping maintain the classical standards of Welsh literature, by his insistence—through his teaching, writings and his adjudication at national eisteddfodau, that grammatical correctness and sincerity were essential components of all literary works.
Born on this day 1905 in Panteg, Monmouthshire
Edwin Stevens - inventor of the world's first wearable electronic hearing aid, as used by Winston Churchill. It was while working as a salesman for a manufacturer of electrical hearing aids, that he considered that the products he was selling were inadequate, so he set up his company (Amplivox) and designed the world's first wearable electronic hearing aid. The microphone was worn on the lapel, with the amplifier going into the wearer's jacket pocket and the earphone was small enough not to need a headband. As technology improved, Stevens created a smaller hearing aid that could fit into the outer ear.
Stevens was also a philanthropist, becoming a major benefactor of the University at which he had studied, Jesus College, Oxford and also of the Royal Society of Medicine.
On Oct 17th 1982, "Sulyn" the first Welsh-language Sunday newspaper was launched.
On 17th October 2005, the National Waterfront Museum in Swansea officially opened.
The museums' aim is to cover every of Wales' industrial and social history, using real-life artefacts, archive footage and photographs, 2-D graphic panels, video diaries and interactive computer displays.
The exhibits are fully bilingual and signed for those with hearing difficulties and include.
* "Copperopolis", the history of the copper industry of Swansea.
* Wales' maritime heritage - including a detailed scale model of the 1865 steam ship Zeta which gave Swansea-born Hollywood actress Catherine Zeta Jones her middle name.
* Animation and the companies behind such children's favourites as Super Ted.
* The interactive hall of fame, which includes, Aneurin Bevan, David Lloyd George, Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson and Gareth Edwards, with new additions being added by votes from visitors.
* A working replica of the first steam locomotive in Wales.
Born on this day 1966 in Wigan
Adopted Welshman, Shaun Edwards - defence coach of the Wales rugby team, who has so far helped Wales to two Grand Slams. Prior to his involvement in rugby union, Edwards was a legendary player and captain of the Wigan Rugby League team and remains the game's most decorated player, winning eight championships and nine Challenge Cups.
As well as being an immensely talented player, Edwards was also tough and uncompromising and was voted "Man of Steel" in 1990. His attitude typified by playing one Challenge Cup final with a broken cheekbone and eye socket.
Off the pitch, Edwards is a devout Roman Catholic and his strong political views meant that on one Great Britain Lions tour, he taped over the British Coal sponsorship logo on his shirt in support of the miners strike.
17th October 1948 saw the opening of the Hoover washing machine factory at Pentrebach, Merthyr Tydfil.
By 1973, the factory was employing more than 5,000 workers. However, the factory then started to go into a gradual decline, finally closing in 2009.
Goronwy ab Ednyfed (c. 1205 - 17 October 1268) was seneschal to Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, between 1246 and 1256. As seneschal, he was in charge of domestic arrangements and the administration of servants and held his lands in Wales free from all dues and services other than military service in time of war.
Goronwy's father was Ednyfed Fychan, seneschal to Llywelyn the Great and later his son Dafydd ap Llywelyn and his mother, Gwenllian, was the daughter of Rhys ap Gruffydd (Lord Rhys). Goronwy's brother Tudur, a leading adviser of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, succeeded him as seneschal to Llywelyn until his death in 1278. He was a direct ancestor of Henry Tudor (King Henry VII of England) and his great grandson also Goronwy was an uncle by marriage of Owain Glyndwr.
17th October 1879 saw the official opening of the Severn Railway Bridge (destroyed in 1960).
The Severn Railway Bridge crossed the River Severn betweenSharpness and Lydney and was built by the Severn Bridge Railway company to transport coal from the Forest of Dean on the Severn and Wye Railway.
The bridge predated the construction of the Severn Tunnel, which is situated around 12 miles downstream, by seven years, after which it was used as a diversionary route when the tunnel was closed for engineering work and became known by locals as 'The White Elephant'
On 25 October 1960, there was thick fog and a strong tide; two barges carrying fuel oil and petroleum overshot Sharpness Dock and were carried upstream by hazardous tidal currents. They collided with one of the columns of the bridge, causing two spans of the 22-span steel and cast iron bridge to collapse. Part of the structure hit the barges, setting fire to them. Five people died in the incident.
The Western Region of British Railways planned to reconstruct the bridge, but after further damage to the bridge in 1961, it considered the bridge to be damaged beyond economic repair and demolition was completed in 1970.
Born on this day 1833 in Ruabon, Denbighshire.
Major Walter Clopton Wingfield - a British army officer who is credited with being the inventor of the game of Tennis.
Major Wingfield wanted to create a game that unlike real tennis, could be played outside and adapted the old Welsh game of Cerrig y Drudion, using the newly invented rubber ball to invent a game he called "Sphairistike or Lawn Tennis."
He published a book of rules for the game in 1873 and took out a patent in 1874. The game became incredibly popular and in 1875, the All-England Croquet Club at Wimbledon set up a lawn for the game to be played on and the rest is history.
Born on this day 1834 in Llanllwchaiarn, near Newtown, Powys.
Sir Pryce Pryce-Jones - founder of the mail-order industry and inventor of the sleeping bag.
During the 1800's, Newtown was a major centre for the woollen industry and Pryce Jones's business started off as a drapery shop selling Welsh Flannel supplied by local woollen manufacturers. The business was a success and its orders were dispatched far and wide, at first by stagecoach, and later by train. As the railway network expanded, so did his business. He was able to sell Welsh Flannel to the rest of Europe, America and eventually Australia. The London and North Western Railway Company provided him with 3 parcel vans for daily deliveries along the Newtown to Euston line and he was able to promise next day delivery to most of Britain. Then in 1879, he built the purpose made Royal Welsh Warehouse, near Newtown train station, as by then he had in excess of 100,000 customers, including Florence Nightingale and Queen Victoria. In 1882, his idea of developing a parcel post service was taken up by the Post Master General. This was such a success, that in 1901 Pryce Jones built his own post office.
Pryce-Jones's most famous product was the patented Euklisia Rug - an all-in-one rug, shawl, blanket and pillow, which he sold 60,000 of to the Russian army. It was also used by German troops during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1. and missionaries in Africa and pioneers in the Australian outback. It later developed into what we know today as the sleeping bag.
Newtown's woollen industry went into decline, when in 1912, it lost its largest factory, the Cambrian Mills to extensive fire damage. This followed by the depression years of the 1920’s and 1930’s and competition from the north of England meant that it was less profitable to manufacture in Mid Wales. However, the impact that Pryce-Jones had on a local, national and international level cannot be underestimated. He revived the local woollen industry, created jobs, organised local events for his workers and founded the mail-order industry, which was copied worldwide. For his contribution commerce, Pryce-Jones was knighted in 1887.
On 16th October 1886 a statue was unveiled of John Batchelor (1820–1883) who has been described as one of Cardiff's most notable citizens and "The Friend of Freedom"
Born in Newport, Batchelor moved to Cardiff in his early twenties, where he set up as a timber and slate merchant in Cardiff docks. Batchelor then went into shipbuilding but was obstructed by the immensely powerful third Marquess of Bute who refused him permission to use the docks. Undeterred, Batchelor was instrumental in establishing the Mount Stuart Dry Dock.
As well as being a successful businessman, Batchelor was concerned about social issues and heavily involved in local politics, he was a radical Liberal councillor, served as Cardiff Mayor, a devoted Congregationalist responsible for the founding of a chapel in Charles Street, Chairman of the Cardiff School Board and a tireless anti-slavery campaigner.
His political views, brought him into regular conflict with the Tory establishment and the influential rich, such as the Butes and their supporters and this is thought to have contributed to the eventual collapse of his businesses in the 1870s. However, collections among his friends and the communities that he had supported over the years, helped him to survive and after his death, a statue of him was erected in The Hayes, Cardiff.
On 16th October 1874, the first issue of Yr Ymwelydd was published in Australia under the editorship of William Meirion Evans
Australian Welsh periodicals
Emigration from Wales to Australia increased at the beginning of the second half of the 19th century and Welsh-speaking communities grew in the states of Victoria and New South Wales. There were estimated to be over 2000 Welsh people living in Ballarat and Sebastopol in 1858.
In 1865, Yr Ymgeisydd [The Endeavourer] Australia's first Welsh periodical, appeared, but as far as is known only 1 issue was published. Another attempt to found a Welsh publication was made in May 1866 with the appearance of Yr Australydd [The Australian], edited by William Meirion Evans. He was a native of Caernarfonshire and a minister, who also worked in the copper and gold mines of South Australia. Yr Australydd ended in 1872 but in October 1874, Yr Ymwelydd [The Visitor] was established as a monthly newspaper, also edited by W M Evans. This continued to appear until December 1876.
Pobol y Cwm, the Welsh language television soap opera was first screened on October 16th 1974 and is the longest-running television soap opera produced by the BBC. It is now also screened by S4C and is regularly its most watched programme. In 1994, it was briefly shown across the whole of the United Kingdom on BBC2 with English subtitles.
The setting for the show is the fictional village of Cwmderi, located in the Gwendraeth Valley – the area lying between Carmarthen and Llanelli. Whilst much of the show's early activity took place at a nursing home, storylines are currently centred around the village pub, Y Deri and its adjacent small businesses and houses. Other frequent settings for storylines include the comprehensive school, Ysgol y Mynach, and a local farm, Penrhewl. There are two other imaginary villages close to Cwmderi, namely Llanarthur and Cwrt Mynach. Well-known faces who have appeared include film stars, Rachel Thomas and Ioan Gruffudd.
Born on this day 1929 in Swansea
Ivor Allchurch - former Wales soccer international.
Known as 'The Golden Boy' of Welsh football, Allchurch is recognised as one of the games "Greats", he played for Swansea Town, Newcastle United and Cardiff City. In total, he played 691 games and scored 249 goals. For Wales, he is best remembered for his performances during the 1958 World Cup, which helped them to reach the quarter-finals.
The Battle of Twt Hill 1461
Born this day 1947 in Llanelli
Terry Griffiths - snooker World Champion in 1979 at the first attempt.
A former postman, insurance salesman, miner and bus conductor, Griffiths won both the Welsh and English Amateur Championships before turning professional. As well as the World Championships, Griffiths also won the Masters and the UK Championship in 1982 and was part of the Welsh team with Ray Reardon and Doug Mountjoy, that won the World Cup of snooker in 1979 and 1980.
After retiring from playing, Griffiths has become a well respected coach and television commentator.
Born on this day 1989 in Morriston
Dan Biggar - Wales rugby international.
The Treorchy Male Voice Choir was reformed on October 16th, 1946.
A male voice choir from Treorchy is first recorded in 1883, winning first prize at a local eisteddfod. They would later win at the National Eisteddfod and in 1895, performed at Windsor Castle, for Queen Victoria.
The choir disbanded after the First World War, but reformed in 1946 and have since made regular appearances on radio and television broadcasts, appeared in feature films, been on several international tours, including Australia.
Born on this day 1754 in New York (the son of Francis Lewis, who was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence and born in Llandaff)
Morgan Lewis the fourth governor of New York (1804 - 1807)
During Lewis's tenure, the U.S. Military Academy at West Point was established. He was president of the New York Historical Society and also was involved in the establishment of New York University.
The situation in Wales following the Norman Invasion;
The Welsh were probably delighted to hear of the death of Harold Godwinson at The Battle of Hastings in 1066, but any celebrations would prove to be premature, as the victorious Normans under William the Conquerer would turn out to be every bit as bad as the Anglo-Saxons had been in their ambitions of expansion into Welsh territory.
Wales in 1066 was in dynastic disarray, following the death of Gruffudd ap Llywelyn three years earlier. Gruffudd had united all of Wales and it was now divided back into its traditional kingdoms. However, it has been argued that this actually made Wales harder to conquer as the Normans were confronted by a number of smaller kingdoms rather than one single kingdom. Also, it appears that William the Conquerer did not initially plan to conquer Wales by raising a large force and invading, instead he operated a policy of establishing the Marcher Lordships, which were borderland earldoms, whose barons ruled with little recourse to the king. These barons were then encouraged to push gradually westward into Welsh territory and build motte and bailey castles to secure the taken land, which were later replaced by larger stone castles.
The most notable earldoms created by William were those at;
* Chester, under Hugh d'Avranches (Hugh the Fat), who struck deeply into Gwynedd and captured Gruffudd ap Cynan, keeping him in prison for 12 years. Much of Gruffudd's lands, were given to Hugh's cousin Robert.
* Shrewsbury, under Roger de Montgomerie, who pushed deep into Powys. Around 1086 he built a castle at the ford of Rhydwhiman across the Severn, naming the place Montgomery.
* Hereford, under William Fitzosbern, who overran the kingdom of Gwent, establishing castles and garrisons at Monmouth, Clifford, Wigmore and the magnificent castle at Chepstow.
In 1081, William visited St David's himself, ostensibly to show his respects but in reality as a demonstration of his power to the native rulers. However, he did recognise Rhys ap Tewdwr's rule in Deheubarth and Iestyn ap Gwrgant's in Morgannwg.
William died in 1087 and the invasion gathered pace under the control of William's eldest son, King William II. The lowlands of Morgannwg fell to Robert Fitzhammon. Rhys ap Tewdwr was killed and Brycheiniog was seized. The Earls of Shrewsbury drove through Powys and Ceredigion to southern Dyfed where they established a castle at Pembroke.
The Normans also set about reforming and trying to take control of the Welsh church. Urban of Llandaff being the first bishop to swear allegiance to Canterbury in 1107, followed by all the other Welsh bishops by the middle of the century. The Normans also introduced Benedictine monasteries from the continent. For example, Chepstow was the site of the first Norman castle in Wales, built in 1067, which was closely followed by Wales' first Benedictine monastery built in 1071.
Born on this day 1893 in Wallasey, England (brought up by his Welsh family, amongst the Welsh community on Merseyside)
Saunders Lewis was a dramatist, poet, literary critic, historian and political activist, who in 2005 was voted 10th in a BBC Wales poll to name Wales' greatest-ever person.
Saunders Lewis’ legacy is immense, alongside his literary output - he wrote plays, poems and novels and was twice nominated for the Nobel Prize for Literature. He had a profound influence on 20th century Welsh politics, he was a founder of Plaid Cymru and was also instrumental in the creation of Cymdeithas Yr Iaith Gymraeg (Welsh Language Society)
At the outbreak of World War I, Lewis was studying at The University of Liverpool, when he enlisted as an officer with the South Wales Borderers. It is thought that this experience and the influence of Republican Irishmen he was fighting alongside helped to shape his convictions about the importance of Welsh national identity, although he stopped short of condoning violence against representatives of the British state.
After the war, he returned to university to graduate in English, after which, he was appointed as a lecturer in Welsh at the University College of Wales in Swansea in 1922. It was during his time at Swansea that he produced some of his most exciting works of literary criticism; A School of Welsh Augustans (1924), Williams Pantycelyn (1927), and Braslun o hanes llenyddiaeth Gymraeg (An outline history of Welsh literature) (1932).
In 1925, along with H.R. Jones and Lewis Valentine, he founded Plaid Genedlaethol Cymru (National Party of Wales) (which would become Plaid Cymru), with the principal aim of the party, being to foster a Welsh speaking Wales. In 1936 Lewis, together Jones and Valentine, set fire to the new RAF base at Penyberth in Gwynedd. They gave themselves up, claiming their action was justified on nationalist and pacifist grounds. However, Lewis lost his university lecturing post and in controversial circumstances went on trial at the Old Bailey in London, where he was sentenced to nine months imprisonment.
In 1962, Lewis gave a lecture on BBC radio entitled Tynged Yr Iaith (The Fate of the Language), in which he saw the extinction of the Welsh language unless revolutionary methods were used to defend it. The broadcast led to the creation of Cymdeithas Yr Iaith Gymraeg (Welsh Language Society) and inspired its campaigns of direct action over the following decades, which subsequently led to the establishment in 1982 of the Welsh language television channel and in 1993 of the Welsh Language Act.
Saunders Lewis died aged 91 in September 1985.
Sir John Prys of Brecon (c.1502- 15th October 1555) - author in 1547 of the first printed book in Welsh and notary public (public officer for matters usually concerned with foreign business) to King Henry VIII.
It is thought that Prys was an advisor regarding the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542, which saw the administrative and legal systems of England, extended to Wales. Prys was also one of Thomas Cromwell's agents during the Protestant Reformation and took part in the major visitation of the monasteries of 1535, before the commencement of their dissolution the following year. In 1547, Prys published the first printed book in Welsh "Yny Lhyvyr hwnn" which contained translations of the Creed, the Ten Commandments and the Lord’s Prayer.
Saint Richard Gwyn was martyred by being hanged, drawn and quartered for high treason on 15th October 1584. He was canonised by Pope Paul VI in 1970 as one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales.
Richard Gwyn was born c. 1537 in Montgomeryshire and studied at the universities of Oxford, Cambridge and Douai, before returning to Wales as a teacher.
Gwyn was a staunch Catholic and this was at the time following The Protestant Reformation, that it was highly dangerous to be Catholic, however Gwyn refused to convert to the Anglian faith and often had to change his home to avoid fines and imprisonment. He was arrested by the Vicar of Wrexham, an Anglican convert in 1579 and spent the next five years in and out of prison.
On one occasion Gwyn was fined £280 for refusing to attend Anglican church services, and another £140 for "brawling" when they took him there. Then in the spring of 1582 where, instead of being tried for an offence, he was given a sermon by an Anglican minister. However, he started to heckle him to the extent that the exercise had to be abandoned.
Richard Gwyn was indicted for high treason in 1583 and despite his defence and objections to the dubious practices of the court, Gwyn was exected by hanging, drawing and quartering, at the Beast Market in Wrexham on 15 October 1584. His last words, in Welsh, were reportedly "Iesu, trugarha wrthyf" ("Jesus, have mercy on me").
Born on this day 1751 in Nantglyn, Denbighshire.
David Samwell - naval surgeon with Captain James Cook, who was also an important supporter of Welsh cultural organisations in London.
Samwell became a surgeon in the Royal Navy, sailing around the world on board HMS Resolution with Captain James Cook. The journal of his experiences provide a detailed account of the third and last voyages of Cook to the Pacific Ocean, including Cook's death at the hands of natives on the Sandwich Islands in 1779.
Samwell lived in London was described as stout, tall, pock-marked, black haired and fierce looking, but wondrous friendly in company. Along with other Welshmen, Smwell joined the Gwyneddigion Society which had formed in 1770. The society celebrated with a rowdy ball every St David's Day and Samwell was reported as being one of the noisiest.
In 1792 Iolo Morganwg (Edward Williams) organised the first meeting of Gorsedd Beirdd Ynys Prydain at Primrose Hill in London. Samwell, who was present at the event, was instigated into the Gosedd of Bards and took the name Dafydd Ddu Feddyg.
On 15th October 1739, John Wesley, founder of the Methodist Church, preached his first sermon in Wales, to a crowd of around 400 at Devauden, Monmouthshire. Wesley then preached in Abergavenny, Pontypool, Usk, Newport and Cardiff on the remainder of his South Wales tour.
Wesley was ordained into the Church of England in 1725, but his religious views were heavily influenced by his contact with German and French non-conformist clergy during his missionary work in the American colonies. In May 1738, he claimed to have experienced a profound discovery of God in his heart which prompted him to undertake a UK-wide tour to preach his revelation.
A commemorative bust was recently unveiled in Devauden on the village green, as this was where he was forced to preach after being refused entry into the local church.
Born on this day 1962 in Cardiff
Mark Ring - former Wales rugby international, who regarded as among the most gifted players of his generation but his career was hampered by serious injury. A great entertainer, Ring was noted for his cheek, flair and individual skill and became a great crowd favourite with his hometown club Cardiff RFC. He ended his playing career in 1996 and moved into coaching.
We reproduce below the adjudications for the 2013 West Coast Eisteddfod Online Poetry Competition ( Peter Thabit Jones ) and Short Story Competition ( Lloyd Jones ). We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our contestants for the many excellent submissions we received this year. Watch this space for exciting announcements about the 2014 competitions!!
To our winners ...congratulations/Llongyfarchiadau!!!
West Coast Eisteddfod 2013 Online Poetry Competition Adjudication
Peter Thabit Jones
I enjoyed reading all the submissions and I would like to thank those who submitted to the 2013 americymru poetry competition. I read and re-read all the poems and I ended up with work by: Jolen Whitworth, Zane Gregory Newitt, Anna Voelker, Leah Angstman, Darrell Lindsay, Paul Steffan Jones, and Dawn Schout.
The 2013 americymru poetry competition winner is Simply Beginning by Anna Voelker. I found all of Annas poems offered a fresh and most interesting poetic voice. Simply Beginning kept calling me back to its directness, its unsentimental but effective way of gaining and sustaining ones attention. I thought of Robert Frosts careful casualness and I particularly liked its disarming conciseness.
West Coast Eisteddfod 2013 Online Short Story Competition Adjudication
Lloyd Jones
Many thanks to those of you who entered this year's competition. The standard was generally high and I enjoyed reading your stories. So here's my verdict:
The Mustache Tree by NRoseJ is a charming children's story, and if the illustrations had also been done by the author this entry would have been a strong contender. I like the idea of the Storybird website which "curates artwork from illustrators and animators around the world and inspires writers of any age to turn those images into fresh stories."
I know it shouldn't make any difference, but the professional-looking artwork does skew the scenario so I'm afraid that NRoseJ will have to go without a prize.
Some of you have written stories from the viewpoint of an animal or a plant. This is notoriously difficult to carry off, and way out of favour in the modern world. Sorry, but I'm not a fan; this sort of fiction has to be short, sharp, and either very funny or deeply ironic. It's a matter of fashion, and this time I'm with the majority: anthropomorphism, also known as furry fandom, may be fine on TV but it's a no-no in modern literature.
Literary choice is so subjective and biased, so I'll be brief. My shortlist included (in no particular order):
Leaky Waters a strong story muddied by a curious ending, which I found too hectic and improbable.
Chiaroscuro a well-written mood piece.
An Extremely Stormy Night vigorous and lively, but let down by some untidy writing.
Ministry of Loss Kafkaesque and nicely pitched, but rather formulaic.
For me, the end choice was between Chiaroscuro and Ministry of Loss. The first is rounded and complete, while the latter feels like the beginning of a book rather than a complete short story. On that basis I award Gaynor Madoc Leonard the main prize for Chiaroscuro , while urging Paul Steffan Jones to develop his story in an original way, since he includes some nice touches.
If you have any negative feelings towards me after reading this adjudication feel free to take it out on Ceri, who's younger and fitter than I am (and definitely up for it). If you really do insist on sorting it out with me personally my address is The Ruin, Bardsey Island, Wales.
As we still say in Abergwyngregyn ta-ra for now, del.
Today is the anniversary of the Senghenydd Mining Disaster
At 8.00am on Tuesday 14th October 1913, a huge explosion occurred at the Universal Colliery in Senghenydd. The explosion, and subsequent release of poisonous gas claimed the lives of 439 miners of the 950 that were working underground at the time. It remains the most tragic mining disaster in British history.
It is thought that the explosion was caused by a spark from the electric signalling gear that ignited methane gas and was so violent that a pit cage was blown back up the shaft. It also caused coal dust lying on the mine floor to rise and catch fire and the fires were quickly followed by afterdamp, waves of poisonous carbon monoxide, that suffocated the miners who had escaped the explosion.
Desperate rescue attempts were hampered by fires and fallen debris, but men and boys were found and rescued from among the wreckage, however after three weeks all hope had long gone of finding further survivors and it was only the dead bodies of the victims that were brought to the surface. Some could only be identified by their clothing, with one heartbreaking story being that of a young boy, identified by the patch on his jacket that his mother had sewn on a few days earlier.
The subsequent enquiry was critical of the owners and management for the poor safety standards at the colliery, especially as lessons had not been learned from a previous disaster in 1901 in which 81 men were killed, but incredibly only £24 in total was ever paid out as fines or compensation and Universal Colliery was back in operation by the end of the following month.
There is a memorial to the men and boys who lost their lives at Nant y Parc Primary School, which stands on the site of the mine and another at the local comprehensives school as well as a clock on Senghenydd square.
October 14th, 1066 - The Battle of Hastings.
There is no record of any significant Welsh presence at The Battle of Hastings, which may not be surprising, given that in 1063, Harold had led an army into Wales, killed the Welsh ruler Gruffydd ap Llywelyn and according to reports "Pursued the Welsh into the rocky and wooded districts that were their natural strongholds and killed every adult Welsh male they could find." The invasion and its consequences however, were to have a major impact on Wales and changed the course of Welsh history.
October 14th, 1066, Senlac Hill, about 6 miles north-west of Hastings: two armies stood opposite each other: the English army of King Harold II in one line; the army of William of Normandy in another.
At around 9 am the Normans made the first attacks, first with arrows, then by the infantry. The English replied with javelins and stones and the English shield wall, stayed intact.
William then sent in his cavalry, but within an hour, his left flank was broken and began to retreat. Unwisely some English soldiers then broke rank, to chase the retreating French, encouraged by the rumour that William was dead. William however, was not dead and removed his helmet to prove so to his troops. This boosted the morale of the Normans and their cavalry immediately charged at the broken ranks of the English.
The English shield wall stood up well to the fresh assault but was weakened. This encouraged William to employ the tactic of feigned retreats in order to the cut down the chasing English.
Harold’s brothers, Gyrth and Leofwine, were killed, followed shortly after by King Harold himself, who legend has it was felled by an arrow that struck him in the eye. The English fought on bravely, but without leadership, their moral and organisation suffered and they were beaten.
Born on this day 1755 in the parish of Llanfihangel Abercywyn, near St Clears.
Thomas Charles - Calvinistic Methodist clergyman. Following the Methodist Revival, a second wave of preachers emerged in Wales towards the end of the eighteenth century. Thomas Charles, a man of wide influence in religious and educational work, was the leader of this movement and is considered of considerable importance in the shaping of modern Wales.
After graduating from Jesus College, Oxford, Charles became an Anglican priest in Somerset for five years, before returning to Wales in 1783 to marry Sarah Jones of Bala. Charles had been influenced by the great revival movement in Wales and had been converted by a sermon by Daniel Rowland.
This made him unpopular with the Welsh clergy, so he made the decision to join the Methodists in 1784. Charles was at the heart of a powerful Christian revival that broke out in North Wales in 1791 and throughout his life he was committed to education through Christian principles. He is credited with being instrumental in introducing the Circulating Schools system and Sunday Schools to North Wales. The scarcity of Welsh bibles was Charles's greatest difficulty in his work, as by 1789, the stock was all but exhausted. When a new edition was brought in 1799, Charles managed to get his hands on approximately 4,000 copies of the 10,000 issued and in 1800 he was so inspired by Mary Jones, who walked 26 miles to purchase a Bible from him at Bala, that he founded the British and Foreign Bible society.
He also issued his own Biblical Dictionary and corrected and edited a version of The Welsh Bible. In later life, Charles was instrumental in introducing the Circulating Schools system to Ireland and charity schools to Scotland.
The Calvinistic Methodist Church is a Nonconformist Protestant religion, closely allied to Presbyterianism, which originated in Wales (1735–36) with the evangelistic preaching of Men such as Howell Harris and Daniel Rowlands.
Nonconformity is the refusal to "conform" to, or follow, the governance of the Church of England. Methodists, Presbyterians, Congregationalists, Baptists, Presbyterians, Congregationalists, Baptists, Quakers, Plymouth Brethren and the Salvation Army are all considered Nonconformists
Presbyterianism is a method of church governance typified by the rule of elders. It developed as a rejection of governance by hierarchies of single bishops (episcopal polity), but also differing from the congregationalism, in which each congregation is independent. In Presbyterianism, each local church is governed by a body of elected elders and then groups of local churches are governed by a higher assembly of elders. Its implementation was by the Geneva church under the leadership of John Calvin in 1541
Methodism- originated from a Christian revival, within the Church of England in the early 18th-century by a group of men, including John Wesley, his younger brother Charles and George Whitfield. Later Whitfield and the Wesley's disagreed over certain aspects of religion and this led to a split, resulting in two branches of Methodism, namely Calvinisitic Methodism of which Whitfield was a proponent and Arminianistic Methodism of which the Wesleys supported.
In Wales, its beginnings may be traced to the Rev. Griffith Jones (1684–1761), of Llanddowror, Carmarthenshire, more than twenty years before the conversion of Whitefield. Jones's sympathy for the poor led him to set up the system of circulating charity schools for the education of children in particular. However in Wales, it was Calvinistic Methodism that took root, supported by such men as, Howell Harries, who had received his religious awakening in Talgarth in 1735 before becoming an itinerant preacher, spreading every the word of God to every neighbourhood visited. He was joined by men such as Daniel Rowlands and William Williams, Pantycelyn, the great hymn-writer. The first Methodist Association in Wales met in 1742 and Whitefield, himself a great pulpit and open-air orator who attracted large and emotional crowds became leader of the Welsh Calvinists. The Anglican Church never quite knew what to make of these fiery preachers and several times Harris applied for ordination in the Anglican Church, only for him to be turned down.
Thomas Charles of Bala became the leader of The Welsh Calvinistic Methodists in 1784 and in 1811 they separated from the Established Church, gaining autonomy in 1933. The Calvinistic Methodist Church was introduced (c.1826) into the United States by Welsh settlers in central New York state.
Born on this day 1644 in London
William Penn - Quaker and founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, which was ultimately settled by many Welsh settlers.
In 1681, King Charles II handed over a large piece of his American land holdings, which included present day Pennsylvania, to William Penn to satisfy a debt the king owed to Penn's father Penn immediately sailed to America and his first step on American soil took place in New Castle in 1682. This coincided with a wave of religious intolerance in Britain which threatened the rights of several groups including Quakers and significant numbers of people felt it necessary to leave Wales
The Welsh Quakers acquired land in modern day Pennsylvania and later known as The Welsh Tract, in a verbal contract with William Penn and began emigrating there in 1682. However, this agreement was never put into writing and later became a source of bitter controversy.
The first Welsh colony of Cambria was established in eastern Pennsylvania by a Baptist minister from Glamorgan called Morgan John Rhys. The Welsh Society of Philadelphia was established in 1729, it is still going strong and is the oldest society of its kind in the United States.
Born on this day 1940 in Bala
Christopher Timothy - actor, director and writer, best known for his role as James Herriot in the television series All Creatures Great and Small.
The Reverend Dr Henry Owen (1716 – 14 October 1795) - born near Dolgellau was a theologian and Biblical scholar.
Owen is noted for his work on the date of publication and composition of the Synoptic Gospels (Mathew Mark and Luke). This hypothesis states that Mark was written first, followed by Matthew and Luke, who used Mark as a source.
One hundred years ago tomorrow, at 8:00AM on the morning of 14 October 1913, a terrible series of explosions struck the Universal Coal Pit in the village of Senghenydd.
In that explosion, Senghenydd lost nearly its entire male population, almost 440 men and boys, to the largest mining disaster in the history of the UK, one of the most terrible in the world.
The disaster was believed to have been caused by "firedamp": a spark ignites methane gas and explodes, that explosion sucks coal dust on the floor into the air and ignites that into a larger explosion. In Senghenydd, each blast caused more coal dust to rise in a series of self-igniting explosions, which spread through the underground works of the mine and were followed by "afterdamp," deadly poisonous gases which replaced the missing air and oxygen.
Following the disaster, investigations of the mine found many safety faults by the owners and managers, who were fined only 24 for the lives of hundreds of fathers, sons, brothers, uncles and nephews.
Tomorrow, thousands of people will line the streets of Senghenydd to mark the 100th anniversary of the disaster.
A week of events which started on October 12th will include tomorrow's unveiling of a bronze statue of a rescue worker aiding a miner, created by sculptor Les Johnson, and the opening of a walled garden.
The garden will include a slate tile for each of the Senghenydd victims which will give their name, age and address and a "path of memory" made of tiles for each mining disaster in Wales that resulted in the deaths of five or more people with the name of the colliery, date of disaster and the number of victims.
You can find out more about the memorial and the events planned here:
http://your.caerphilly.gov.uk/abervalleyheritage/events
Book of the Day, 14 October -
Surfing Through Minefields by Bel Roberts - A Review
From our interview with Bel Roberts :- " Surfing Through Minefields belongs to the hybrid genre reality fiction. I have set the story in a fictional contemporary comprehensive school in Monmouth and have researched the facts surrounding the Senghenydd Pit disaster of 1913 in such a way that the history of the event is seen from the prospective of a modern teenager and by the residents of an old peoples home who have actual mementos of the tragic event. The heroine, Lauren, is an English teenager sent to stay with her grandmother in Wales while her parents sort out their various problems." ... read more here
One hundred years ago tomorrow, at 8:00AM on the morning of 14 October 1913, a terrible series of explosions struck the Universal Coal Pit in the village of Senghenydd.
In that explosion, Senghenydd lost nearly its entire male population, almost 440 men and boys, to the largest mining disaster in the history of the UK, one of the most terrible in the world.
The disaster was believed to have been caused by "firedamp": a spark ignites methane gas and explodes, that explosion sucks coal dust on the floor into the air and ignites that into a larger explosion. In Senghenydd, each blast caused more coal dust to rise in a series of self-igniting explosions, which spread through the underground works of the mine and were followed by "afterdamp," deadly poisonous gases which replaced the missing air and oxygen.
Following the disaster, investigations of the mine found many safety faults by the owners and managers, who were fined only 24 for the lives of hundreds of fathers, sons, brothers, uncles and nephews.
Tomorrow, thousands of people will line the streets of Senghenydd to mark the 100th anniversary of the disaster.
A week of events which started on October 12th will include tomorrow's unveiling of a bronze statue of a rescue worker aiding a miner, created by sculptor Les Johnson, and the opening of a walled garden.
The garden will include a slate tile for each of the Senghenydd victims which will give their name, age and address and a "path of memory" made of tiles for each mining disaster in Wales that resulted in the deaths of five or more people with the name of the colliery, date of disaster and the number of victims.
You can find out more about the memorial and the events planned here:
http://your.caerphilly.gov.uk/abervalleyheritage/events
Book of the Day, 14 October -
Surfing Through Minefields by Bel Roberts - A Review
From our interview with Bel Roberts :- " Surfing Through Minefields belongs to the hybrid genre reality fiction. I have set the story in a fictional contemporary comprehensive school in Monmouth and have researched the facts surrounding the Senghenydd Pit disaster of 1913 in such a way that the history of the event is seen from the prospective of a modern teenager and by the residents of an old peoples home who have actual mementos of the tragic event. The heroine, Lauren, is an English teenager sent to stay with her grandmother in Wales while her parents sort out their various problems." ... read more here
Wales prior to the Norman Invasion of 1066
Prior to the Norman invasion of 1066 Wales was a country in dynastic disarray after the death in 1063 of Gruffydd ap Llywelyn, who had been the outstanding Welsh ruler of the 11th century. He is remembered as "the only Welsh king ever to rule over the entire territory of Wales" and was described as the shield of his country and the terror of its enemies.
A Timeline of significant events in Wales, in the build up to The Battle of Hastings of 1066;
c. 1007 Gruffydd was born, the son of Llywelyn ap Seisyll, King of Gwynedd and Deheubarth.
1023 The death of his father forced Gruffydd into exile in Powys with his mother and sisters, as Iago ab Idwal siezed the throne of Gwynedd.
1039 Gruffydd kills Iago ab Idwal and takes the throne of Gwynedd.
1055 Gruffydd had become the ruler of Powys and seized Deheubarth, Morgannwg and Gwent. This combined with his alliance with Aelgar of Mercia and their destruction of Hereford put Gruffydd in a powerful position and in exchange for his fealty, King Edward the Confesser of England recognised Gruffydd's claim to sovereignty over the whole of Wales.
1057 Gruffydd married Ealdgyth, daughter of Aelgar.
1061 King Edward and Harold Godwinson attacked Gruffydd's army at Rhuddlan, before withdrawing back to England.
1062 Harold's brother, Tostig, marched on Gwynedd from Chester, while Harold led a large force from Bristol. Gruffydd was nearly captured, but managed to escape by sea, however, his other ships were destroyed. Aelgar of Mercia was killed, which further weakened Gruffydd's position.
1063 Harold and Tostig led armies into Wales, forcing Gruffydd to take refuge in Snowdonia, where he was killed by one of his own men, thought to have been from Cynan ap Iago, the son of Iago ab Idwal, whom Gruffydd had killed in 1039. Gruffydd's head was sent to King Edward as the price for peace and Wales was divided back into the traditional kingdoms.
1066 (January) Harold became King of England and married Gruffydd's widow Ealdgyth
1066 (14th October) Battle of Hastings.
On 13th October 1910, the crew of the St David's lifeboat on board the "Gem" went to rescue three crew stranded in terrible weather aboard Democrat, a coal ship delivering to Ramsey Island. The rescue was a success, but the sail-assisted rowing boat crashed onto the rocks on the return journey, killing three crew members. Yet somewhat miraculously given the conditions, the 12 remaining lifeboatmen and the three rescued sailors, survived by clinging to rocks for over 12 hours. They were eventually rescued when Will Thomas managed to dry out matches sufficiently enough to set fire to his oilskins to alert help from nearby Porthclais harbour.
In the aftermath of the disaster Sydney Mortimer, aged just 16, who had sailed one of the Porthclais rescue boats and saved 10 of the survivors, received the RNLI's Silver Medal. Two years later he became the youngest coxswain of the St David's lifeboat, aged 18. The incident was instrumental in the use of petrol motorboats by the RNLI and also provided valuable lessons in how to improve the cork life jackets of the day.
Born on this day 1976 in Llandrindod Wells.
Carl Robinson - former Wales soccer international, who won 52 caps. Robinson played the majority of his career with Wolverhampton Wanderers as a combative midfielder and is currently an assistant coach for Vancouver Whitecaps FC in Canada. He was recently awarded Citizen of the Year in his tome town of Llandrindod Wells.
Adopted Welshman Paul Potts from Port Talbot was born 13 October 1970 in Kingswood, South Gloucestershire. He is remembered for winning the first series of ITV's Britain's Got Talent with his performance of "Nessun Dorma",
His first television audition, at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, was remarkable, as judging from Potts's appearance and demeanour, no one watching expected the powerful and emotional rendition that he delivered and brought looks of awe from the judges. Potts received a standing ovation from the audience of 2,000 people and the YouTube video clip from the show has since had more than 105 million views. His subsequent album "One Chance" went on to top the sales charts in nine countries.
In Wales Potts has become involved with the charity Treat Trust Wales, which is behind ambitious plans to develop a multi-million pound, state-of-the-art rehabilitation and well being centre in the grounds of Morriston Hospital. Potts recently headed the charity's deputation at a top-level meeting with a Welsh Government minister that could be worth £1.5 million.
On 13th October 1858, 20 men were killed in a mining accident at Lower Duffryn Colliery, Mountain Ash
On his visit with us, Phil Rowlands brought us a great little statue of a coal miner and a little girl. It's called "The Welcome," it's carved out of Welsh coal and has a plaque on it which says it's part of the "Coal Heritage Collection." You can find these on Welsh gift sites but I wasn't able to find out who makes them. It's a great little statute and it's cool to hold it here in Oregon and know it's made of real Welsh coal.
I loaded up an image of the whole piece and three close-ups. Click on the pix to see full size. Because it's all black and shiny, it was a fun challenge to light and shoot to get any detail!
I have to massively thank Chris Keil, who brought us a whole fifth of delicious Penderyn Welsh whisky, and, amazingly, there was still some left when the guys all flew out of town. If you haven't ever had this, it's really good and smooth. And Mike Jenkins, who gave my daughter, Aria, an avid reader, a signed copy of his new book, Question Island , from Alun Books in Port Talbot, which she was very happy to get and took in to school to show off the next day.
The legend of Madog discovering America over three hundred years before Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas on October 12th 1492.
According to the story, Madog was a Prince of Gwynedd, who in 1170 sailed westward across the Atlantic and landed on the American shore. He returned to Gwynedd to recruit settlers and left, never to be seen again. The settlers supposedly travelled up the great rivers before settling down in the Midwest and intermarrying with a Native American tribe.
References to Madog discovery of America;
* A site on Rose Island, Kentucky, is claimed as once being home to a colony of Welsh-speaking Indians.
* The references to a seafaring Madog were used during the Elizabethan era to bolster British claims in America. The earliest surviving account to make the claim that Madog had come to America appears in Humphrey Llwyd's unpublished 1559 Cronica Walliae. John Dee then used this manuscript when he submitted a treatise the "Title Royal" to Queen Elizabeth in 1580
* During the first English navigation of the James River in 1607, Welshman Peter Wynne, wrote that some of the pronunciation of the Monacan language resembled "Welch".
* Another encounter with a Welsh-speaking Indian was claimed by the Reverend Morgan Jones, who said that he had been captured in 1669 by a tribe of Tuscarora called the Deog, whose chief spared his life when he heard Jones speak Welsh, a language he understood.
* Francis Lewis, a signer of the American Declaration of Independence is said to have had a conversation with an Indian chief who spoke Welsh,
* Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States believed the "Madoc story" to be true.
* Llewellyn Harris, the missionary who visited the Zuni tribe in 1878, wrote that they had many Welsh words in their language.
The Battle of Hatfield Chase was fought on 12th October 633, near Doncaster. It resulted in a decisive victory for an alliance of Gwynedd and Mercia led by Cadwallon ap Cadfan and Penda against Northumbria led by Edwin.
The period following the collapse of Roman rule in Britain left the Celtic Britons to fend for themselves. There appears to have been an on-going struggle for territory as kingdoms wrestled and allied themselves with other kingdoms, to define their borders. In the area we now know as Wales, apart fom the internal conflict between the indigineous kingdoms, they had to deal with incursions from the Irish and the emerging threat of the Anglo Saxon expansion from what is now England. In particular, the areas of Powys, Gwent and Gwynedd were constantly threatened by the Anglo Saxon kingdoms of Mercia, Northumbria and Wessex. The Battle of Hatfield Chase is typical of the inter-kingdom rivalry of the time.
A timeline of significant events in the build up to and the aftermath of The Battle of Hatfield Chase;
c.623 - Edwin is baptised at the Royal Court of Gwynedd.
625 - King Cadfan of Gwynedd dies and his son Cadwallon ap Cadfan succeeds him.
c.626 - A rivalry between Edwin and Cadwallon, which has grown since childhood, reaches a climax. Edwin invades and conquers large parts of Gwynedd, including Anglesey. The defeated Cadwallon is besieged on Puffin Island (off Anglsey), from where he eventually flees to Brittany.
c.630 - The Battle of the Long Mountain (nr Welshpool) King Penda of Mercia allies with Cadwallon who has returned from exile in Brittany and they re-take Gwynedd. Cadwallon then marches to Northumbria and ransacks the kingdom.
633 Battle of Hatfield Chase - Cadwallon in alliance with Penda, defeated and killed Edwin, which led to the temporary collapse of Northumbria and its division back into its constituent kingdoms of Bernicia and Deira. Cadwallon then slayed both King Eanfrith of Bernicia and Osric of Deira rather than negotiate peace terms with them. Oswald succeeded in Bernicia and Acha in Deira.
634 Battle of Heavenfield (Hexham, Yorkshire, close to Hadrians Wall) Cadwallon marches a huge army north, up the old Roman road, Dere Street into Northumbria to take on Oswald. However, Cadwallon and his army were exhausted after their long journey and Oswalds' men, alert and ready for the fight, siezed the initiative and despite being outnumbered, killed Cadwallan and defeated his army.
Born on this day 1921 in Tenby
Kenneth Griffith - actor and documentary filmmaker.
Griffiths left school in 1937 and moved to Cambridge, taking a job at an ironmongers, weighing nails. This lasted only a day and proved to be the only job he ever had outside of the acting world as he then joined the Cambridge Festival Theatre at the age of 16. Griffith then volunteered for service with the RAF in 1939 and served during WWII. In 1941, he made his debut in the first of more than 100 films in which he principally played character roles. such as Archie Fellows in The Shop at Sly Corner, the wireless operator Jack Phillips on board the Titanic in A Night to Remember (1958) and especially in the comedies of the Boulting brothers, including Private's Progress (1956) and I'm All Right Jack (1959). He also portrayed the gay medic Witty in The Wild Geese (1978) and a whimsical mechanic in The Sea Wolves (1980). More recently, he appeared in Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994) and The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain(1995). Griffith also had many television roles such as in, Danger Man, The Prisoner, Minder, Lovejoy and "The Bus to Bosworth", where his personification of a Welsh schoolteacher out on a field trip won him many accolades.
In his personal life, Griffith was a close friend of Peter O''Toole and was also a world authority on the Boer War. He was very politically minded and held firm views against British imperialism. He was President of a society for the emancipation of the Untouchables caste in India and an avid supporter of Sinn Fein. His political views were reflected in some no-holds-barred documentaries about subjects such as Michael Collins, Winston Churchill, Cecil Rhodes and Napoleon Bonaparte. His documentary work has been described as a world class, but his career did not reach its full potential due to his refusal to compromise on his political views.
Born on this day 1955 in Port Talbot
Brian Flynn - former Wales soccer international, winning 66 caps and later manager of the Wales under 21 and senior sides.
Flynn played the bulk of his playing career with Burnley and Leeds United, but finished his playing career as player-manager at Wrexham, before going on to manage the club full time. During his twelve years in charge, Wrexham enjoyed three European Cup Winners Cup campaigns and achieved notable FA Cup giant killing victories over Arsenal and West Ham United. At the time of his departure from Wrexham, he was the league's third longest serving manager.
The Testimony of Taliesin Jones first screened on 12th October 2000, is an international award-winning drama which tells the profoundly moving coming-of-age story of 12-year-old Taliesin Jones (John Paul MacLeod), who is discovering girls, is bullied at school and is struggling to get by at home. It is based on a novel of the same name by Rhydian Brook, an award-winning author from Tenby.
The film was shot almost entirely on location in Wales and includes scenes in Cwm Ifor School in Caerphilly with staff and pupils from St Cenydd School as extras.
Born on this day 1867 in St Brides Wentloog, Monmouthshire.
Lyn Harding (real name David Llewellyn Harding) - stage, radio and film actor whose career spanned the transition from silent films to talkies. He is perhaps best remembered for his menacing portrayal of Professor Moriarty in the dramatisations of the Sherlock Holmes stories.
Harding began working in Newport, as an apprentice draper but decided to pursue an acting career after giving Shakespearean readings in a Cardiff chapel. Then an opportunist meeting in 1890, with a touring group of actors, led to his first professional role, deputising for a sick actor. He then toured the country with the group, making his London in 1897.
Over his career, he worked with many big name performers, such as Ralph Richardson, Anthony Quale and John Gielgud, making his final stage appearance aged 74, in the West End. His last professional appearance was when aged 79 he played Owain Glyndwr in BBC radio's production of Shakespeare's Henry IV.
On October 12th 1977, Wales went red with rage at possibly the greatest injustice ever in Welsh football history.
Wales were playing Scotland at Anfield in a winner takes all World Cup qualifying match. The atmosphere was electric and all Welsh football fans who were not present were glued to television and radio sets. There was an air of nervous excitement that after years of disappointment and near misses that this Welsh team could finally deliver on the World stage. With 12 minutes to go, the game was reaching a thrilling climax, with chances coming at both ends, as the two sides pushed for a winning goal.
Then, referee Robert Wurtz awarded a penalty against Wales's Dave Jones for handball, Jones pleaded his innocence to the referee, all to no avail and the resulting successful penalty by Don Masson changed the dynamic of the game and ensured a Scottish victory. However, television replays clearly showed that it was Scotland's Joe Jordan that had handled the ball from Asa Hartford's long throw. But it was the image of Jordan claiming the penalty and then kissing the same, guilty hand that lingers on in the minds of frustrated Welsh fans.
On 12th October 2003, The Friends of the Leinster held a service at Holyhead to commemorate the 85th anniversary of the sinking of RMS Leinster by a German U-boat.
RMS Leinster was serving as the Dún Laoghaire to Holyhead mailboat, when she was torpedoed and sunk on 10th October 1918, just outside Dublin Bay. Over 500 people perished in the sinking, the greatest single loss of life in the Irish Sea.
