An event at the Tabernacl in Machynlleth this September will mark the centenary of Plaid Cymru’s first Summer School, a historic gathering that brought together nationalists, campaigners, thinkers, and activists to discuss the future of Wales.

The original Summer School was held in Owain Glyndŵr’s Parliament House in Machynlleth between 23 and 28 August 1926, just months after the party’s foundation. Around 60 members came together for a week of lectures and discussions that helped shape the vision of the national movement in its formative years.

This year’s keynote speaker will be Professor Richard Wyn Jones, one of Wales’ foremost scholars of politics and the history of nationalism. His lecture will reflect the title of the famous address delivered by Saunders Lewis at the first Summer School, Principles of Nationalism, which provided the intellectual foundation for the development of Plaid Cymru in the decades that followed.

The event will be chaired by Dafydd Wigley, with contributions from Dafydd Iwan and Delyth Jewell MS.

The programme of the 1926 Summer School featured some of the most influential thinkers and leaders from Wales and Ireland, including Ifan ab Owen Edwards, founder of Urdd Gobaith Cymru; Iorwerth Peate; E.T. John; and Judge T.P. Ellis. Even David Lloyd George had intended to attend the event and made a financial contribution towards its costs.

The lecture will also highlight the contribution of key individuals such as Mai Roberts of Deiniolen, who played a crucial role in bringing together the different nationalist movements that led to the creation of Plaid Cymru. She became member number 0001 of the party and was one of the most influential women in its early history.

Tickets for the event, on 6 September, are available in advance or at the Tabernacl on the night.