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Cup, commemorative
A white stoneware cup with a transfer print emblem which reads "CAPEL CELYN". This single cup and saucer set is a poignant reminder of a displaced community. Used to serve tea in the vestry following a service at Eglwys Celyn, it is a symbol of a community and congregation that worshipped, worked, learnt and lived together who were forced to leave their homes.
Capel Celyn, a Welsh-speaking community in the Tryweryn valley, was drowned to provide a new water supply for Liverpool. There were protests throughout Wales. Most Welsh MPs opposed the bill to build the reservoir, yet it was passed by the Conservative government of the day. The villagers were forced to move, abandoning their homes, chapel, school and farmland. Liverpool City Council apologised in 2005. Tryweryn has become iconic. It is a symbol to some people of how powerless Wales is.
Cup and saucer from Capel Celyn. Donated in 1964 before the village was drowned. (Source: label text from Oriel 1 exhibition at St Fagans National Museum of History).
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