Party of Wales Gwynedd Councillors' Group

On August 5, 1925, in the Maes Gwyn building in Pwllheli, Plaid Cymru was founded. A century later, the party will return to the town to mark this historic milestone.

That year, the National Eisteddfod was held in Pwllheli, and during the festival week, six men came together to unite two movements – Byddin Ymreolwyr Cymru (the “Home Rule Army of Wales”) and y Mudiad Cymreig (“The Welsh Movement”) – to establish what would become the National Party of Wales. The party adopted the name Plaid Cymru in 1945.

Three of the men who gathered at Maes Gwyn in 1925 – Saunders Lewis, David John Williams and Lewis Valentine – were later imprisoned in 1936 for setting fire to the newly built RAF base in Penyberth, in protest against the militarisation of Wales.

Now, in June 2025, a special festival will take over the Maes to honour this momentous history. The event is being coordinated by former MP Hywel Williams, one of Pwllheli’s own, who represented Caernarfon, and later Arfon, in Parliament from 2001 until 2024, when he passed the baton to Liz Saville Roberts.

The celebration will take place on Saturday, 21 June, in Pwllheli. All are warmly invited to join the festivities on the Maes – whether or not they are members of Plaid Cymru. The day will feature music, speeches, stalls, and children’s activities, with the celebrations continuing into the evening with a folk gig at the Penlan pub, featuring Gwilym Bowen Rhys, Geraint Lovgreen, and a band of accordionists.

The event begins at 1.30pm with stalls, entertainment and family activities, followed by formal speeches at 2.00pm. Speaking on the day will be Liz Saville Roberts MP, Leader of Plaid Cymru in Westminster, joined by Dafydd Wigley, Kirsty Blackman MP (SNP), Mabon ap Gwynfor MS, Rhun ap Iorwerth MS, and performances by Gwenan Gibbard, Meinir Gwilym, Pys Melyn, Gwyneth Glyn, Twm Morys, and more.

Hywel Williams said:

“I’m extremely proud that the Party is holding the first major event of its centenary celebrations here in Pwllheli – the very place where it all began during the National Eisteddfod of 1925.

“This will be a joyful and uplifting event – a time to celebrate and give thanks for the dedication of Plaid Cymru members over the past hundred years, and to look ahead to the opportunities before us, particularly the Senedd elections in 2026.”