Just two years shy of its 200th birthday, this year’s Eisteddfod Powys proved to be a unique historic occasion.

For the first time ever, the same person won the chair and crown at the Eisteddfod.

Karina Wyn Dafis from Llanbrynmair was announced as the winner of the chair for poetry on Saturday afternoon, having won the crown on Friday night for her literature.

County Times:

Karina Wyn Dafis from Llanbrynmair won the Eisteddfod Powys chair and crown. 

Other winners in the two-day cultural extravaganza held at The Hafren Theatre in Newtown included Lois Llywelyn Williams who won the Young People’s Trophy (Tlws yr Ifanc) and Sue Hyland who won the Learners’ Trophy (Tlws y Dysgwyr).

Edwin Hughes, chairman of the organising committee, said: “We were very happy with how everything went. It’s a historic occasion. 

“Never in our history before, and the first Eisteddfod Powys was held in 1820, have we crowned and chaired the same winner.

“The standard of competition throughout the two days was consistently very high with the judges very happy with what they saw on the stage and also in the craft and written competitions.”

 On Saturday morning eight people were given the honour of joining the Eisteddfod’s bardic court (Gorsedd) and the focus will turn to next year’s Eisteddfod in Dyffryn Banw.

For its bi-centenary in 2020 Eisteddfod Powys will be going back to its roots, where it all started, Rhosllanerchrugog near Wrexham.

The boundaries of the contemporary unitary authority of Powys were set up in 1974 amalgamating the counties of Montgomeryshire, Radnorshire and Breconshire.

Powys Eisteddfod represents the boundaries of the ancient Powys Principlaities of Fadog and Gwenwynwyn which extended further north towards Wrexham, over into present day England and Oswestry.