The Celtic Congress was founded in 1917 by
Edward John, a
Welsh nationalist who was an MP for
East Denbighshire from 1910 until 1918. He was motivated in part by the ideal of reviving the work of the earlier Celtic Association and its annual Pan-Celtic Congresses, but was also influenced by the social and culture aftermath of the
First World War. The new Celtic Congress held its first meeting in 1917 at the Birkenhead
Eisteddfod. The Congress was held in Edinburgh in 1920, and in 1921 on the Isle of Man. In 1925 the Congress was held in Dublin, where one of the speakers was
Douglas Hyde. A prominent figure was
Agnes O'Farrelly, who was also part of the
Gaelic League and for a while was a member of
Cumann na mBan. She played a major role in the organisation after John's death in 1931. In 1935, Cardiff was the venue, and BBC Western Region broadcast the proceedings. The 1938 Congress was held on Isle of Man in different halls, so that attendees had a choice of lectures, debates and discussions. Meetings have been held almost every year since then. The Celtic Congress of 1950, held at the
Royal Institution of Cornwall in
Truro, was a catalyst for the foundation of
Mebyon Kernow the following year. The Wales branch hosted the meeting at Aberystwyth in 1960. Each of the six branches is independent with their own programmes of activities during the year. The Conference is held in each of the six countries in turn, and the country that is hosting the conference has the privilege of choosing the theme of the lectures for that year. An International Celtic Congress involves lectures, visits to places of cultural and historic interest, and music and dance events. ==See also==