La Maison du Connemara

Name of traveller

Yann Fouéré (1910-2011) with wife and children

Reason for travel

• political exile after World War 2

Date of travel

1946-1948

Le lendemain de mon arrivée, nous descendîmes tous les quatre à Abergavenny pour assister aux séances de l’école d’été, sorte de congrès annuel d’études, organisé par le parti national gallois. (Fouéré 17)

Content

• customs: attends the Aberdare Eisteddfod and is moved to hear the Breton anthem
• history: Swansea destroyed from German air raids
• industry: describes industrial landscapes
• language:
  • notes importance of the Welsh press campaign for Breton morale
  • his children attend school and soon become fluent in Welsh
  • impressed to hear Princess Elizabeth speak Welsh at the Aberdare Eisteddfod
• people:
  
  • many character sketches of people met while in Wales and who supported his life in exile
  • engages with other Breton refugees in Wales
  • meets Saunders Lewis (1893-1985) to discuss politics
  • his wife and children follow him into Welsh exile at a later point
• politics:
  • stays in Wales as political refugee and lives in disguise; afraid of being discovered at any time
  • attends summer school organised by Plaid Cymru
• transport: travels by train

Nationality of traveller

Breton, French

Language of publication

French

Gender of traveller

Male, Female

Type of publication

autobiography

Citation

Fouéré, Yann. La Maison du Connemara. Spézet: Coop Breizh, 1995. 12-87. Print.