Evan Wall

Research title: The Red Dragon hearing the Irish harp: the influence of Irish nationalism on the Welsh National Party, 1916–1939

The formation of Plaid Genedlaethol Cymru in 1925 was revolutionary in Welsh politics. Plaid’s 15-year interwar campaign has set the foundation for Welsh nationalist politics. My project looks at what triggered the founding of Plaid Cymru, what shaped its vision and political ambitions for Wales during the interwar period.

Across the Irish Sea, the 1916 Easter Rebellion was a cultural trigger point that eventually led to the formation of the Irish Free State in 1921. The Rising was a model event for anti-imperialist nationalist movements worldwide, including Wales.

Plaid offered an original socio-economic vision for Wales, fought unsuccessfully in a general election campaign with an abstention policy. Then, in 1936, three of its leaders burnt down a RAF aerodrome in North Wales to “protect Welsh culture”; they then handed themselves in to the authorities and refused to speak English in their trial, and eventually were sent to prison. 

Through empirical research of archives in Wales and Ireland, I will explore the transnational connection between Welsh and Irish nationalists.

Teaching Modules: IP12920 - Politics in the 21st Century

Teaching Modules: IP12920 - Politics in the 21st Century