Kevin's Welcome at Mortagne-Sur Gironde 2025

August 9, 2025

Kevin's Welcome at Mortagne-Sur Gironde 2025

On the 22nd of July 2025, the date of Owain Lawgoch's assassination, Kevin and the team were honoured to receive a warm welcome from Mayor Stéphane Coutier and the staff at the tourist office in Royan, Mortagne-sur-Gironde. Their hospitality and interest in Owain Lawgoch’s story remind us how widely his legacy reaches beyond Wales. One day, we hope to see a lasting tribute here at home as well — a monument in Wales dedicated to honouring Owain Lawgoch’s life, courage, and enduring place in our history.

With the help from local businesses here in Wales, we are helping to build roots and share the history of our two great countries and towns. In the video below we see the mayor of Mortagne-sur-Gironde reading a letter from Christiane Racine, the owner of a Welsh vineyard: Sticle Vineyard offering for him to come over to Wales and celebrate Owain Lawgoch and strengthen the bonds between our two regions.

Below you can read the letter that mayor Stéphane Cotier is reading in both English and French, offering a meet and greet here in Wales to share the history and culture of our two regions.

May 26, 2026
Over the past year, support and awareness for the Owain Lawgoch Monument Project has continued to grow across Wales, and we would like to take a moment to sincerely thank the organisations, groups, and individuals who have helped us gain momentum and spread awareness of this important cause. In particular, we would like to thank the Welsh Battlefields Association and the Owain Glyndŵr Association for their encouragement, historical knowledge, and continued interest in helping raise awareness of Owain Lawgoch and the shared Welsh–French history connected to his legacy. We would also like to thank everyone who attends the annual Cofio Llywelyn commemorative weekend gathering in Cilmeri. The passion shown by those who continue to honour Welsh history and identity year after year has been a major inspiration to us. Events such as these demonstrate that there is a growing appetite across Wales for greater recognition of the figures and stories that shaped our nation. We would also like to extend a heartfelt thank you to everybody who has donated to the project so far. Every contribution, no matter the size, has helped us continue raising awareness, travelling between Wales and France, building connections, and keeping the vision of a Welsh monument to Owain Lawgoch alive. The support we have received from ordinary people who care deeply about Welsh history and identity has been both humbling and inspiring. As our campaign continues to gain attention both in Wales and internationally - particularly through our links with Mortagne-sur-Gironde in France, where Owain Lawgoch is already commemorated as Yvain de Galles - we hope to see more institutions and local authorities across Wales recognise the cultural and historical significance of the project. We understand that formal processes can often take time, but we firmly believe this is a project of national importance that deserves wider support and recognition. The growing public interest surrounding Welsh history, combined with international attention coming to Wales through events such as the Tour de France, presents a unique opportunity to celebrate and promote an important part of our national story. It is also important to remember that this movement is not something new. In 2028, it will be 25 years since representatives connected to the Welsh Government and Welsh cultural organisations supported the establishment of the monument to Owain Lawgoch (Yvain de Galles) in Mortagne-sur-Gironde, France, using Welsh slate. At that time, the importance of commemorating Owain Lawgoch abroad was clearly recognised. A quarter of a century later, we believe the time has now come for Wales itself to honour that same legacy here at home. Through continued community support, passion, and dogged determination, we remain committed to ensuring that Owain Lawgoch finally receives the recognition he deserves here in Wales.
June 26, 2025
Kevin welcomed at Mortagne by Mayor Stephane Cotier