Brinley Richards (13 April 1904 – 18 September 1981) was a

Welsh language Welsh ( or ) is a Celtic languages, Celtic language of the Brittonic languages, Brittonic subgroup that is native to the Welsh people. Welsh is spoken natively in Wales by about 18% of the population, by some in England, and in (the Welsh c ...

poet and author, who was

Archdruid Archdruid () is the title used by the presiding official of Gorsedd Cymru, the Gorsedd. The Archdruid presides over the most important ceremonies at the National Eisteddfod of Wales including the Crowning of the Bard, the award of the and the C ...

of the

National Eisteddfod of Wales The National Eisteddfod of Wales ( Welsh: ') is the largest of several eisteddfodau that are held annually, mostly in Wales. Its eight days of competitions and performances are considered the largest music and poetry festival in Europe. Competito ...

from 1972 to 1975.Biography at National Library of Wales
''(in Welsh)'' Richards was born in Cwm Llynfi,

Glamorgan Glamorgan (), or sometimes Glamorganshire ( or ), was Historic counties of Wales, one of the thirteen counties of Wales that existed from 1536 until their abolishment in 1974. It is located in the South Wales, south of Wales. Originally an ea ...

in South

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

, and was named after the musician and composer

Henry Brinley Richards Henry Brinley Richards (13 November 1817 – 1 May 1885) was a Welsh composer, who also published some works under the pseudonym 'Carl Luini'. Richards was born in Hall Street, Carmarthen, his father being organist at St Peter's Church in the ...

(1819–1885). He attended Maesteg Grammar School and spent a year at

Cardiff University Cardiff University () is a public research university in Cardiff, Wales. It was established in 1883 as the University College of South Wales and Monmouthshire and became a founding college of the University of Wales in 1893. It was renamed Unive ...

. He lived on Church Street in Maesteg, a few doors above Bethel English Baptist Chapel, and had a legal practice there for most of his later years. At the

Llanrwst ; ) is a market town and Community (Wales), community in Conwy County Borough, Wales. It is on the east bank of the River Conwy and the A470 road, and lies within the historic counties of Wales, historic county boundaries of Denbighshire (histori ...

Eisteddfod of 1951, he won the chair, qualifying him to become Archdruid in due course. His

bardic name A bardic name (, ) is a pseudonym used in Wales, Cornwall, or Brittany by poets and other artists, especially those involved in the eisteddfod movement. The Welsh language, Welsh term bardd ('poet') originally referred to the Welsh poets of the M ...

as Archdruid was Brinli. His collected poems, ''Cerddi'r Dyffryn'', were published in 1967. He is buried along with his wife Muriel in St Cynwyds church in Llangynwyd.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Richards, Brinley 1904 births 1981 deaths Chaired bards Welsh-language writers 20th-century Welsh writers Welsh Eisteddfod archdruids Welsh Eisteddfod winners 20th-century Welsh poets