Marc Evans's List: Gorymdaith Genedlaethol Dydd Gwyl Dewi

Cardiff's big St David's Day Parade

25/2/2009

Cardiff celebrates St David's Day on Sunday with a big parade and other events.

The parade will take place on Sunday at 1pm and will start at the National Museum of Wales, with the route taking in many of the sights of the capital and finishing at The Senedd in Cardiff Bay.

Before the march begins at 1pm a number of festivities will take place including school children singing of the official St David's Day parade song "Cenwch y Clychau i Dewi - Ring Out the Bells for St David."

The song was written by event organisers Gwenno Dafydd and Heulwen Thomas. Before the March begins the Lord Mayor of Cardiff will also welcome marchers before they set off.

The parade line-up will also include cavalry re-enactment troupe the Welsh Horse, the Bagad Morgannwg Welsh Pipe Band, the Goodwick Brass Band, the Adamant Jazz Band, Wonderbrass, Samba Galez and folk dance troupes.

This year's Parade will also welcome the Bagad Plougastel, one of Brittany's most renowned pipe bands and a Breton folk-dance group from the town of St Pol de Leon. Breton and Welsh tradition holds that St David studied under St Pol himself in Whitland, Carmarthenshire, and just three miles from St Pol de Leon is the village of Dirinon, burial place of Non, St David¹s mother.

The parade is supported and run by the National St David's Day Parade Committee, Cardiff Council and the National Assembly for Wales. For further information visit the parade website http://www.stdavidsday.org/

Parade President and Founder Henry Jones-Davies said "For the sixth year running our capital will rise to the occasion and welcome people from all over Wales and the world to celebrate our national day. It's a day when all of us can be proud to be Welsh."

Those who have built an appetite after the march can go to the Really Welsh food festival in Queen Street. The market will be at Queen Street from Thursday 26th to Saturday 28th of February. A great selection of Welsh food will be available.

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