People from across the whole of Wales have shown solidarity in the most incredible way following the second attack on the Cofiwch Dryweryn memorial.

Parts of the wall in Llanrhystud, Ceredigion were reduced to rubble by vandals, just days after the wall was repainted following an earlier attack.

Volunteers are now working to repair the original wall, however people across the country have marked their support - quite literally - by painting their own versions of the mural in their hometowns.

Since news of the damage broke, a number of new replica Cofiwch Dryweryn tributes have appeared on walls in all corners of Wales.

In a move which sends a strong message to the vandals, the new murals have been painted in Denbighshire, Swansea, Bridgend and more as the country stands together united for Welsh culture .

Vandals have partly destroyed the Dryweryn monument
Vandals have partly destroyed the Dryweryn monument

Glenn Swingler, Plaid Cymru county councillor for Upper Denbigh and Henllan said: "The part destruction of the memorial has only inspired others to spread the word.

"The drowning of a Welsh village to supply water to Liverpool shows that the UK govt have done nothing more than destroy the country....and they still fail us today.

"Many thanks to those that rebuilt the original."

A driver who spotted the words painted on a wall on the A5 near Llangollen said: "It draws attention but it isn't one that distracts drivers and serves as a reminder to Welsh history.

Graffiti has appeared on a layby wall near Llangollen
Cofiwch Dryweryn on a layby wall near Llangollen

"It is more relevant near Llangollen than the one in Ceredigion because the river Dee is instrumental in carrying water from Llyn Celyn to the Merseyside pumping stations."

It follows confirmation that Dyfed-Powys Police are now treating the attack as a hate crime.

Graffiti has appeared on a layby wall near Llangollen
The slogan on a layby wall near Llangollen

The move has been met with an outpouring of support, with many taking to social media to back the new tribute memorials.

One Facebook user said: "I’m full of admiration for everybody that has been involved with Tryweryn. More importantly, it’s informed the thousands that knew nothing of this part of recent Welsh history.

Another wrote: "I also wonder what the vandals are thinking now to see what they’ve inadvertently started throughout Cymru."

There has also been suggestions of more locations to paint the memorial, ranging from the Llyn Peninsula to as far away as Chicago in the US.

A section of the former Bala and Festiniog Railway line has been exposed at Llyn Celyn after low water levels in 2018. The line closed in 1961 when construction began of the reservoir which meant the flooding Tryweryn village under much controversy.
A section of the former Bala and Festiniog Railway line has been exposed at Llyn Celyn after low water levels in 2018. The line closed in 1961 when construction began of the reservoir which meant the flooding Tryweryn village under much controversy. Photo by Ian Cooper



The Chicago Tafia Welsh Society said: "With the recent spate of vandalism to the ‘Cofiwch Dryweryn’ mural in Llanrhystud, a second mural has been painted in Bridgend, Wales.

"It’s gotten me thinking, where in Chicago could we do the same? Any ideas on how and where we could do this?"

A crowd funding campaign has been launched to rebuild the mural, and secure it for future generations.  You can donate here .

The words Cofiwch Dryweryn - Remember Tryweryn - were first pained on a rock near Llanrhystud near Aberystwyth in the 60s.

It commemorates the the flooding of the Welsh-speaking village of Capel Celyn which was drowned to provide water to Liverpool - despite overwhelming opposition.

The scheme involved damming the area to form what is now the Llyn Celyn reservoir.

Take a rare glimpse of Capel Celyn's final days before it was controversially flooded in 1965:

Exactly 40 years since the reservoir opened, Liverpool City Council issued an apology for any "insensitivity shown" towards the residence of Tryweryn.  However the council failed to apologise for the flooding of the village and the displacement of its 67 residents.

In February, the unofficial monument was defaced with the word Elvis but was painted back by students from Aberystwyth University.

Capel Celyn Memorial Chapel near Frongoch, Bala. Photo by Ian Cooper
Capel Celyn Memorial Chapel near Frongoch, Bala. Photo by Ian Cooper

A Dyfed-Powys Police spokesman said they are aware that the memorial has been repeatedly damaged with graffiti over the last few months and has caused "significant distress to communities both locally and nationally".

Police have also confirmed CCTV has now been set up at the scene.