Tryweryn flooding

Flooding of Capel Celyn, Wales in 1965

The Tryweryn flooding or Tryweryn drowning (Welsh: Boddi Tryweryn), refers to the flooding of the rural community of Capel Celyn to the north west of Bala in Gwynedd, Wales, in the Afon Tryweryn valley. The village and other parts of the valley were flooded in 1965 to create Llyn Celyn reservoir, in order to supply Liverpool and Wirral with water for industry. The Tryweryn flooding was opposed by 125 local authorities and 27 of 36 Welsh MPs voted against the second reading of the bill with none voting for it. At the time, Wales had no Welsh office (introduced in 1964) or any devolution.

The flooding is often cited in discussions around devolving powers to the Welsh Government, such as those following the Government of Wales Act 2006 and the Wales Act 2014. The 2015 United Kingdom election took place during the flooding's 50 year anniversary, and saw the UK Conservative Party campaign on the St David's Day Agreement which would give further powers to the Welsh government. The agreement's proposals effectively meant that any Welsh laws on water could be overruled by UK ministers if they judged it would have a serious adverse effect on the water supply in England. As such, the proposals were heavily criticised in Wales; both the Welsh Government and Plaid Cymru stated that a new agreement was needed to address the issues around devolved, reserved and excepted matters, especially on the emotive subject of water. In backing the UK government's proposals, Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns directly referenced the Tryweryn flooding, stating that the UK proposals were "about righting a wrong from 50 years ago", adding that UK Government proposed settlement "sends a strong message" on how the UK and Welsh governments relate to each other. The discussions would eventually lead the UK government losing the power to intervene in any laws relating to water (and many other areas) enacted by the Welsh Government, with supporters of the new Wales Act 2017 describing it as "preventing another Tryweryn". Alun Cairns again backed the amended act, stating that the new arrangement showed "how far we have come from the events of 52 years ago, which resulted in the flooding of the Tryweryn Valley".

The flooding of the village was dramatised in a joint production by Theatr Clwyd and Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru in 2007. The original title was Porth y Byddar and the revival in 2008 was titled Drowned Out.

The flooding of the village inspired a Manic Street Preachers song "Ready for Drowning" and Enya's song "Dan y Dŵr" ("Under the Water") from her self titled album of 1987. It is referenced in the Los Campesinos! song "For Flotsam" on their 2013 album No Blues. To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the event, English composer Michael Stimpson released an album entitled Dylan & The Drowning of Capel Celyn, which featured a work for solo pedal harp, inspired by the flooding. Electronic musician Bibio released a song called "Capel Celyn" on his 2017 album Phantom Brickworks.

In the 2010 Welsh Argentine drama film Patagonia by Welsh director Marc Evans, Capel Celyn is the place of origin of one of the film's protagonists. Scenes near the end of the film include a visit to the reservoir. The history of the villages provide inspiration for the 11th episode "Achub Y Morfilod" ("Saving the Whales") in Season 6 of the American animation series Archer, first broadcast in 2015. Guest starring Matthew Rhys, a native Welshman, the episode was the result of a story told by Rhys on a night out with the show's creators (earning Rhys a writing credit). Capel Celyn and the reservoir also play a part in the 2016 Welsh film Yr Ymadawiad (The Passing, in English). The flooding of the valley seems to provide inspiration for the film's plot, and the movie is better understood and takes on a deeper level of poignancy when the history of the flooding is known. It is also referenced in The Crown, Season 3 Episode 6 "Tywysog Cymru". A young Prince Charles stays in Wales to learn the Welsh language at University of Wales, Aberystwyth. His tutor, Edward Millward, and his wife Silvia are members of Plaid Cymru and briefly tell him about the village. Capel Celyn is also featured in the Rank film series ‘Look at Life’ in the episode ‘Running Dry’. The short film, shot in colour, includes shots of the post office, the school, the chapel and the local councillor Dave Roberts.

Capel Celyn (1997) is a floor piece made up of 5,000 cast wax nails inspired by the discovery of one rusty five inch nail which Welsh artist Tim Davies reclaimed one rainless summer from the dried up bed of the Tryweryn reservoir.

Cofiwch Dryweryn ("Remember Tryweryn") is a motto referring to the drowning of Capel Celyn in 1965. It urges Welsh speakers to remember the destruction of a Welsh speaking community and to safeguard the language. One instance of this motto is a graffito on the wall of a ruined stone cottage by the A487 at Llanrhystud, outside Aberystwyth which has come to be regarded as a "national landmark". Meic Stephens claimed to have been the first to paint the wall in the 1960s,

The wall has been vandalised over on a number of occasions. In May 2008, the words were altered to "Angofiwch Dryweryn" ('forget Tryweryn'). The monument was defaced in April 2010, and a spokesperson for the Welsh Government said they were "disappointed" by the incident. After the memorial was repainted, vandals knocked over parts of the wall. In response to the vandalism a wave of Cofiwch Dryweryn memorials were painted throughout Wales and further afield also. The monument is featured in the music video for the Manic Street Preachers' single "Distant Colours".