That festival took place in Aberdare in 1861, and the wind caused great damage to the Pavilion.
According to the Baner ac Amserau Cymru, 28 August 1861, “… suddenly, a gusty wind rose about midday, on the Sabbath day, and the tent was blown down. Such an event so close to the day of the Eisteddfod was a blow for the fainthearted; but instead of worrying, the bravehearted poet, Alaw Goch, and the committee decided to adapt the Market House to host the Eisteddfod: and when we consider how little time they had to undertake such a tremendous task, it is remarkable that it worked so well.”
And it is clear that the Eisteddfod struck a chord with visitors, as the Baner ac Amserau Cymru correspondent mentioned in his column on 28 August, "I have never been to a National Eisteddfod before; but am now confident, that I will have the pleasure of being in many again in the future. I am happy that the Aberdare National Eisteddfod has been organised by such a great team. If something cannot be done effectively in Aberdare, it is cannot be done in any town in Wales today. The tent's misfortune was enough to break the braves of hearts, but the people of Aberdare fought against their disappointment and rallied on.”
By the mid-1860s, with the Eisteddfod having been held alternately in the north and south for several years, the festival was flourishing, so much so that The Times newspaper sent one of its 'special correspondents' down from London to Carmarthen to report on its success. In a letter to the Baner in September 1867, following the Caernarfon Eisteddfod - where the Crown was first presented - 'The Correspondent', John Griffith, said,
“The 1867 Grand Eisteddfod in Carmarthen has been, for the most part, a success, and although the weather turned out unfavourably - especially the last day - the heavy rain filtered through the tent roof - without this, the Carmarthen Eisteddfod, which undoubtedly would turn out, not only a success but a grand success ... The Eisteddfod ... has come between everything - to use an American term - has become a "big thing" – a mighty big thing ... "
The Eisteddfod may have been a 'mighty big thing' that year in Carmarthen, but strangely, following this success, the festival was held in north Wales for many years, until it was held in Merthyr Tydfil in 1881, nearly fifteen years later.
In 1876, the Eisteddfod was held in Wrexham for the first time. And like so many Wrexham Eisteddfodau, this was a festival to remember.
For the first time in the history of the modern Eisteddfod, the Chair was draped with a black cloth. The winning poet, Taliesin of Eifion, Thomas Jones, died the night his poem was sent to Wrexham, and according to the story, and his last words were "Was the awdl delivered safely?"
As is typical of the style of the newspapers of the time, the Baner ac Amserau Cymru report on 30 August 1876 was extremely emotional and colourful, commenting that people would still remember the 1876 Eisteddfod in half a century, because of the Black Chair.
The report mentions Lady Edith Wynne singing 'Dafydd y Garreg Wen' on the Pavilion stage, and says, "And especially the scene when our Pencerddes retreated behind the chair, having" broken down”and was overwhelmed by her feelingsuntil she could sing no more! When the poets stood in a row on either side of the chair, silent, with the tears bursting forth silently, running into rivers along their cheeks; with the tears of the Baron of Wynnstay, who the chaired bard knew well, fell like peas from his eyes, until the sleeve of the coat of Hwfa Môn, who happened to be standing next to him, was soaking wet.”
The Eisteddfod had never seen anything like this before, and few would imagine that the festival would face the same grief again. But, of course, the black cover was spread over the arms of the Chair at Birkenhead in 1917, when Ellis Humphrey Evans, or Hedd Wyn, won the Chair.
By the end of the decade, the Eisteddfod had clearly become an important event, with thousands of visitors flocking to the Pavilion every year, so much so that in 1878, with the Eisteddfod in Birkenhead, Y Genedl Gymreig reported that “The Eisteddfod is the mainsubject of the day. Wherever you go, you are sure to hear talk of the Eisteddfod – with thousands planning to go to Birkenhead, and thousands, because of work ties, having to stay home.”
And to reinforce the point and need for people of all ages and backgrounds to have an opportunity to visit the Eisteddfod, the article states, “It would be a grand idea for the traders to close their trade-places for one day… Fair play for the counter-jumpers to have one day's holiday at the National Eisteddfod. Welsh Traders, if allow your young men and young ladies one day to visit, they will bless you while they live.
And as we reach the end of our first look at the Eisteddfod through the eyes of the press, where better to return than Aberdare? This is where our journey began, and here it ends, with a report in Y Genedl Gymreig on 2 September 1885, which mentions the preparations in the town for the Eisteddfod’s visit:
“Preparations for this year's National Eisteddfod were everything we could have wanted. Aberdare has been busily preparing for weeks to welcome one of the nation's leading institutions. The call for the service of the painters and the paper hangers was such that, before the end of the previous week, the Eisteddfod could not secure the service of one of them for love or money. The town’s main roads were beautifully adorned early on Monday August 24th, with the place full of life, with banners of all shapes and sizes, flying in the air.”
But the paper's approach to local businesses' efforts to benefit from the Eisteddfod visit was very different - something that the Eisteddfod itself welcomes wholeheartedly today. In 1885, Y Genedl Gymreig’s comments were quite clear:
"We are sorry that some of the traders showed great selfishness and lack of taste, by taking advantage of our national festival, some to advertise the footwear they had for sale, others their bacon, and others their clothing materials. Many of the panels in Cardiff St had no Eisteddfod mottos or slogans on them, and some seemed to believe that the most important decoration they could put on their banner was their own name. They undoubtedly thought that it was important for the thousands of citizens who arrived at the Eisteddfod on a daily basis to be made aware of their existence. What a bunch of old creatures.”