Home > Anglesey
4 Politics
Until 1974 Anglesey (together with Holy Island) was one of the thirteen counties of Wales. In 1974 it formed a district of the new large county of Gwynedd, until in the 1996 reform of local government it was restored as a county. The county council is a unitary authority and is named "Isle of Anglesey County Council / Cyngor Sir Ynys Môn". At the latest local elections in 2004, while there is still a majority of independent councillors (28 out of 40), the notion that the council is controlled by independents is incorrect. Technically, there is council is under no overall control - the independents, along with some of the party-backed members, are divided into three factions, the largest of which consists of some 14 councillors.
Other places in Anglesey include Cemaes.
Môn (a cow) is the Welsh name of Anglesey, itself a corrupted form of Old English, meaning the Isle of the Angles. Old Welsh names are Ynys Dywyll ("Dark Isle") and Ynys y cedairn (cedyrn or kedyrn; "Isle of brave folk"). It is the Mona of Tacitus (Ann. xiv. 29, Agr. xiv. 18), Pliny the Elder (iv. 16) and Dio Cassius (62). It is called Mam Cymru by Giraldus Cambrensis. Clas Merddin, Y vel Ynys (honey isle), Ynys Prydein, Ynys Brut are other names. According to the Triads (67), Anglesey was once part of the mainland, as geology proves. The island was the seat of the Druids, of whom 28 cromlechs remain, on uplands overlooking the sea, e.g. at Plâs Newydd. The Druids were attacked in 61 by Suetonius Paulinus , and by Agricola in 78. In the 5th century Caswallon lived here, and here, at Aberffraw, the princes of Gwynedd lived till 1277. The present road from Holyhead to Llanfairpwllgwyngyll is originally Roman. British and Roman camps, coins and ornaments have been dug up and discussed, especially by the Hon. Mr. Stanley of Penrhos. Pen Caer Gybi is Roman. The island was devastated by the Danes (Dub Gint or black nations, gentes), especially in 853.
Geography of Wales
Principal areas of Wales
Traditional counties of Wales
Welsh islands
*
