As Wales celebrated St David’s Day, Branwen Jones asked what being Welsh means to those far from home
HIRAETH - a word most of us will have heard, but one that not all of us may know the meaning of, or had cause to experience.
The Welsh term is a concept of longing for home. It is a term that cannot be completely translated, but means more than ‘missing something’ or ‘missing home.’
To mark St David’s Day, we look at what being Welsh and Wales means for those who are living far away from North Wales, and for those who have returned from their adventures.
Sara Morgan grew up on a dairy farm in Treuddyn near Mold. For two years now, the solicitor has lived in Brooklyn, New York with her husband Jamie and their son Monty Elis.
“There’s not a cow in sight, but there are sheep in Central Park,” she said.
“We’ve been here for two years now and love it. It’s a lot of fun, people are really friendly and there’s a great community spirit in Brooklyn.”
Despite living in London for 14 years before the big move, Sara said she was very proud of her Welsh roots.
She said: “Like many expats, I think living abroad has made me even more proud of my heritage. I’m a member of New York Welsh and am doing my best to speak Welsh to my little one.
“The Welsh have a monopoly on ‘hiraeth’, so I definitely miss it. Home will always be Wales and I don’t think that will ever change.
“I try to come back every year and I can’t see that stopping – I need to see the rolling hills and my family to keep focused in life.
“Most Americans don’t know much about Wales, but The Crown made a huge impact and everyone is talking about Wales right now.
“Americans are very focused on their heritage and many have Welsh forefathers. I met one lady who had spent four years learning Welsh over the internet because she’d traced her lineage to south Wales. How fantastic is that?”
Michael Walter has lived in the Australian city of Canberra since 2011.
“I miss speaking Welsh to my family and friends,” he said.
“I also miss mushy peas and decent pubs! It’s especially tough during international rugby or football matches.”
The proud Welshman, who lived in Mold before he left, has joined a small Welsh community in Canberra.
“Our community is not as large as others around the world, but we are very close knit.
“I help with the Welsh classes place every Wednesday, and on average, we’ll have around 10 people taking part. This St David’s Day we are hosting a dinner with 50 people.
“I am very proud to be Welsh and take any available opportunity to tell Australians how wonderful our country and language are.
“I speak nothing but Welsh to my two children, to ensure they will never lose their language.”
Craig ab Iago spent most of his childhood travelling and living in different countries.
The son of an RAF intelligence officer, Craig was born in Nocton Hall but lived in places such as France, Spain, Portugal, Germany and Cyprus, rather than his mother’s homeland of Wales. But he still felt a strong connection to the country.
“I remember attending an English-speaking school in Cyprus at the age of eight, “he said. “And I would fight with the other kids because they called me a ‘Taffy.’ I lost the ability to speak Welsh when I was five, but I still had a strong Welsh identity.”
Craig continued to travel