University flies flag for Welsh hero

Glyndŵr University proudly flew its flag on Tuesday 16 September to mark the 608th anniversary of the proclamation of Welsh hero Owain Glyndŵr as Prince of Wales – in honour of the man who inspired its name.

The University hoisted the Glyndŵr banner at its Wrexham campus in celebration of the lasting influence of Wales’s most famous son and his vision for a modern European Wales with its own universities.

The banner itself is based on the Glyndŵr coat of arms of four lions, the symbol of the descendents of the Princes of Gwynedd. It was adopted by Glyndŵr following the proclamation of his title by Welsh nobles in 1400.

Tuesday was the first time that the University – the youngest in the UK – marked the Glyndŵr Day.

Glyndŵr University came into existence in July this year, when the Queen, on recommendation by the Privy Council, granted taught degree awarding powers and full university title to the North East Wales Institute of Higher Education (NEWI).

Professor Michael Scott, Vice-Chancellor of Glyndŵr University, said: “Hoisting the flag is a proud occasion for everyone connected with Glyndŵr University.

“Owain Glyndŵr was, and continues to be, an inspiring figure across Wales. He was a great scholar himself and he was a local man with strong ties to the Wrexham area - his connections to the University are unquestionable.

“The anniversary of the day he was proclaimed Prince of Wales is one way of remembering Owain Glyndŵr and the impact which he had on the people of Wales.”

The life of Owain Glyndŵr is celebrated across Wales on 16 September every year. He was also the inspiration for the Manic Street Preachers’ 2007 song, ‘1404’, and in a Millennium Poll of 100 influential international people, Owain Glyndŵr was ranked seventh, above Sir Isaac Newton and Abraham Lincoln.