Holyhead (,; cy, Caergybi , "

Cybi Saint Cuby (in Cornish) or Saint Cybi (in Welsh) was a 6th-century Cornish bishop, saint and, briefly, king, who worked largely in Cornwall and North Wales: his biography is recorded in two slightly variant medieval 'lives'. Life in Cornwal ...

's fort") is the largest town and a

community A community is a social unit (a group of living things) with commonality such as place, norms, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may share a sense of place situated in a given geographical area (e.g. a country, village, tow ...

in the county of

Isle of Anglesey Anglesey (; cy, (Ynys) Môn ) is an island off the north-west coast of Wales. It forms a principal area known as the Isle of Anglesey, that includes Holy Island across the narrow Cymyran Strait and some islets and skerries. Anglesey island, ...

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...

, with a population of 13,659 at the 2011 census. Holyhead is on

Holy Island Sacred space, sacred ground, sacred place, sacred temple, holy ground, or holy place refers to a location which is deemed to be sacred or hallowed. The sacredness of a natural feature may accrue through tradition or be granted through a bless ...

, bounded by the

Irish Sea The Irish Sea or , gv, Y Keayn Yernagh, sco, Erse Sie, gd, Muir Èireann , Ulster-Scots: ''Airish Sea'', cy, Môr Iwerddon . is an extensive body of water that separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is linked to the Ce ...

to the north, and is separated from Anglesey island by the narrow

Cymyran Strait {{Location map, Wales Anglesey, mark=Green_pog.svg , lat=53.2820021, long=-4.5845404, width=250, float=center , alt = , caption = , image_bathymetry = , alt_bathymetry = , caption_bathymetry = , location ...

and was originally connected to Anglesey via the Four Mile Bridge. In the mid-19th century,

Lord Stanley Earl of Derby ( ) is a title in the Peerage of England. The title was first adopted by Robert de Ferrers, 1st Earl of Derby, under a creation of 1139. It continued with the Ferrers family until the 6th Earl forfeited his property toward the en ...

, a local philanthropist, funded the building of a larger

causeway A causeway is a track, road or railway on the upper point of an embankment across "a low, or wet place, or piece of water". It can be constructed of earth, masonry, wood, or concrete. One of the earliest known wooden causeways is the Sweet Tra ...

, known locally as "The Cobb", it now carries the A5 and the

railway line Rail terminology is a form of technical terminology. The difference between the American term ''railroad'' and the international term ''railway'' (used by the International Union of Railways and English-speaking countries outside the United Sta ...

. The A55 dual carriageway runs parallel to the Cobb on a modern causeway. The town houses the

Port of Holyhead 300px, Just inside the 'New' harbour at Holyhead port., alt=Port of Holyhead From geograph.org.uk 8 October 2007 The Port of Holyhead ( cy, Porthladd Caergybi) is a commercial and ferry port in Anglesey, Wales, handling more than 2 million pass ...

, a major Irish Sea port for connections towards

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

Etymology

The town's English name, ''Holyhead'', has existed since the 14th century at least. As is the case with many coastal parts of Wales, the name in English is significantly different from its name in Welsh. It refers to the holiness of the locality and has taken the form ''Haliheved'', ''Holiheved'', ''Le Holyhede'' and ''Holy Head'' in the past. The Welsh name, ''Caergybi'', derives from the fortification around which the town developed. The locality was known by such names as ''Karkeby'' ('seat of Cybi'), ''Castro Kyby'' ('the fortified military camp of Cybi'), and ''Kaer Gybi'' (Cybi's resting place). Prior to the influence of the fort on the name, the hamlets which came before it were likely known as ''Llan y Gwyddel'' ('church/parish of the Irish') and ''Eglwys y Beddi'' ('church of the graves').

History

Prehistoric and Roman history

The town centre is built around St.

's Church, which is built inside one of Europe's few three-walled

Roman fort In the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire, the Latin word ''castrum'', plural ''castra'', was a military-related term. In Latin usage, the singular form ''castrum'' meant 'fort', while the plural form ''castra'' meant 'camp'. The singular and ...

s (the fourth boundary being the sea, which used to come up to the fort). The

Romans Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

also built a

watchtower A watchtower or watch tower is a type of fortification used in many parts of the world. It differs from a regular tower in that its primary use is military and from a turret in that it is usually a freestanding structure. Its main purpose is to ...

on the top of

Holyhead Mountain Holyhead Mountain (''Mynydd Twr'' in Welsh: from ''(pen)twr'', meaning "tower") is the highest mountain on Holy Island, Anglesey, and the highest in the county of Anglesey, north Wales. It lies about two miles west of the town of Holyhead, and s ...

inside Mynydd y Twr, a

prehistoric Prehistory, also known as pre-literary history, is the period of human history between the use of the first stone tools by hominins 3.3 million years ago and the beginning of recorded history with the invention of writing systems. The use of ...

hillfort A hillfort is a type of earthwork used as a fortified refuge or defended settlement, located to exploit a rise in elevation for defensive advantage. They are typically European and of the Bronze Age or Iron Age. Some were used in the post-Roma ...

. Settlements in the area date from prehistoric times, with circular huts,

burial chamber A chamber tomb is a tomb for burial used in many different cultures. In the case of individual burials, the chamber is thought to signify a higher status for the interred than a simple grave. Built from rock or sometimes wood, the chambers could a ...

s and

standing stone A menhir (from Brittonic languages: ''maen'' or ''men'', "stone" and ''hir'' or ''hîr'', "long"), standing stone, orthostat, or lith is a large human-made upright rock (geology), stone, typically dating from the European middle Bronze Age. T ...

s featuring in the highest concentration in Britain. The current lighthouse is on

South Stack South Stack ( cy, Ynys Lawd) is an island situated just off Holy Island on the northwest coast of Anglesey, Wales. Geology South Stack is an island known as a sea stack. It was formed by the wave erosion of sedimentary rocks that once conne ...

on the other side of Holyhead Mountain. Soldiers Point Hotel, located near the breakwater park in Holyhead was first established in 1848. It was the residence of an engineer that was in charge of the government sponsored alterations to Holyhead Harbour being carried out. It was badly damaged in a fire in 2011.

Post-Roman history

In the early nineteenth century, it was still undecided which port would be chosen as the primary sea link along the route from London to

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

;

Porthdinllaen Porthdinllaen (''in English'' sometimes Porth Dinllaen) is a small coastal village on the Llŷn Peninsula in the Dwyfor area of Gwynedd, Wales, built on a small promontory, and historically in Caernarfonshire. It is near the larger village of Mo ...

on the

Llŷn Peninsula The Llŷn Peninsula ( cy, Penrhyn Llŷn or , ) extends into the Irish Sea from North West Wales, south west of the Isle of Anglesey. It is part of the historic county of Caernarfonshire, and historic region and local authority area of Gwynedd. Mu ...

, or Holyhead in

Anglesey Anglesey (; cy, (Ynys) Môn ) is an island off the north-west coast of Wales. It forms a principal area known as the Isle of Anglesey, that includes Holy Island across the narrow Cymyran Strait and some islets and skerries. Anglesey island ...

. In May 1806, a parliamentary bill approved new buildings in Porthdinllaen when it seemed that that town would be chosen. Porthdinllaen was almost as far west as Holyhead, but Holyhead was more accessible, because of

Thomas Telford Thomas Telford FRS, FRSE, (9 August 1757 – 2 September 1834) was a Scottish civil engineer. After establishing himself as an engineer of road and canal projects in Shropshire, he designed numerous infrastructure projects in his native Scotla ...

's road developments. Porthdinllaen Harbour Company was formed in 1808 in preparation, but the bill before Parliament to constitute Porthdinllaen as a harbour for Irish trade was rejected in 1810.

Transport

Neuadd Y Dref Caergybi, Holyhead Town Council (geograph 3662368)

The

is a busy ferry

port A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ham ...

Stena Line Stena Line is a Swedish shipping line company and one of the largest ferry operators in the world. It services Denmark, Germany, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Latvia, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland and Sweden. Stena Line is a major unit of Ste ...

, Northern Europe's biggest ferry company, operates from the port, as do

Irish Ferries Irish Ferries is an Irish ferry and transport company that operates passenger and freight services on routes between Ireland, Britain and Continental Europe, including Dublin Port–Holyhead; Rosslare Europort to Pembroke as well as Dublin Po ...

. Ferries sail to

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...

. Holyhead's maritime importance was at its height in the 19th century with a sea breakwater.

Holyhead Breakwater Holyhead Breakwater is situated at the north-western end of Holyhead in Anglesey in North Wales. The Victorian structure, which is long, is the longest breakwater in the United Kingdom. The breakwater, which is accessible in good weather, has ...

, built to create a safe harbour for vessels caught in stormy waters on their way to

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...

and the industrial ports of

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly. The non-metropolitan county of Lancashi ...

, is the longest breakwater in the UK. The post road built by

from London strengthened Holyhead's position as the port from which the

Royal Mail , kw, Postya Riel, ga, An Post Ríoga , logo = Royal Mail.svg , logo_size = 250px , type = Public limited company , traded_as = , foundation = , founder = Henry VIII , location = London, England, UK , key_people = * Keith Williams ...

was dispatched to and from Dublin on the

Mail coach A mail coach is a stagecoach that is used to deliver mail. In Great Britain, Ireland, and Australia, they were built to a General Post Office-approved design operated by an independent contractor to carry long-distance mail for the Post Office. M ...

. The A5 terminates at

Admiralty Arch Admiralty Arch is a landmark building in London providing road and pedestrian access between The Mall, which extends to the southwest, and Trafalgar Square to the northeast. Admiralty Arch, commissioned by King Edward VII in memory of his moth ...

(1822–24), which was designed by Thomas Harrison to commemorate a visit by King

George IV George IV (George Augustus Frederick; 12 August 1762 – 26 June 1830) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from the death of his father, King George III, on 29 January 1820, until his own death ten y ...

in 1821 ''en route'' to Ireland and marks the zenith of Irish Mail coach operations. Holy Island and Anglesey are separated by the

which used to be crossed on the Four Mile Bridge; so called, because the bridge was from Holyhead on the old

turnpike Turnpike often refers to: * A type of gate, another word for a turnstile * In the United States, a toll road Turnpike may also refer to: Roads United Kingdom * A turnpike road, a principal road maintained by a turnpike trust, a body with powers ...

The Stanley Embankment, or "The Cob", is an embankment that connects Anglesey and Holy Island. It carries the

North Wales Coast Line The North Wales Coast Line ( cy, Llinell Arfordir Gogledd Cymru), also known as the North Wales Main Line ( cy, Prif Linell Gogledd Cymru or cy, label=none, Prif Linell y Gogledd), is a major railway line in the north of Wales and Cheshire, ...

railway and the A5 road. The embankment was designed and built by Thomas Telford. When the A5 was being constructed between London and the Port of Holyhead, a more direct route was needed. Construction started in 1822 and completed a year later. It gets its formal name after

John Stanley, 1st Baron Stanley of Alderley John Thomas Stanley, 1st Baron Stanley of Alderley (26 November 1766 – 23 October 1850), known as Sir John Stanley, 7th Baronet, from 1807 to 1839, was a British peer and politician. Life Stanley was the son of Sir John Thomas Stanley FRSE (1 ...

, a significant local benefactor.Hughes, Margaret: ''"Anglesey from the sea"'', page 73. Gwasg Carreg Gwalch, 2001 In 2001, work was completed on the extension of the A55 North Wales Expressway from the

Britannia Bridge Britannia Bridge ( cy, Pont Britannia) is a bridge across the Menai Strait between the island of Anglesey and the mainland of Wales. It was originally designed and built by the noted railway engineer Robert Stephenson as a tubular bridge of wr ...

to Holyhead, giving the town a

dual carriageway A dual carriageway ( BE) or divided highway ( AE) is a class of highway with carriageways for traffic travelling in opposite directions separated by a central reservation (BrE) or median (AmE). Roads with two or more carriageways which are ...

connection to North Wales and the main British motorway network. The A55 forms part of

Euroroute The international E-road network is a numbering system for roads in Europe developed by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). The network is numbered from E1 up and its roads ...

E22. The Anglesey section was financed through a

Private Finance Initiative The private finance initiative (PFI) was a United Kingdom government procurement policy aimed at creating "public–private partnerships" (PPPs) where private firms are contracted to complete and manage public projects. Initially launched in 199 ...

scheme.

With the opening of the railway from London to Liverpool, Holyhead lost the London to Dublin Mail contract in 1839 to the

Port of Liverpool The Port of Liverpool is the enclosed Dock (maritime), dock system that runs from Brunswick Dock in Liverpool to Seaforth Dock, Seaforth, Merseyside, Seaforth, on the east side of the River Mersey and the Great Float, Birkenhead Docks between ...

. Only after the completion of the Chester & Holyhead Railway in 1850 and the building of

Holyhead railway station , symbol_location = gb , symbol = rail , image = Holyhead Railway Station, Holy Island (507270) (32932192272).jpg , borough = Holyhead, Anglesey , country = Wales , coordinates = , grid_name = Grid reference , grid_position = , owned ...

did the ''

Irish Mail The ''Irish Mail'' was a named train in the United Kingdom that operated from London Euston via the West Coast and North Wales Coast lines to Holyhead from 1848 until 2002 connecting with ferry services to Dublin. History The first ''Iris ...

'' return to Holyhead, operated from

London Euston Euston railway station ( ; also known as London Euston) is a central London railway terminus in the London Borough of Camden, managed by Network Rail. It is the southern terminus of the West Coast Main Line, the UK's busiest inter-city railw ...

by the

London & North Western Railway The London and North Western Railway (LNWR, L&NWR) was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. In the late 19th century, the L&NWR was the largest joint stock company in the United Kingdom. In 1923, it became a constituent of the Lo ...

. Holyhead is the terminus of the

and is currently served by

Avanti West Coast Avanti West Coast is a train operating company in the United Kingdom owned by FirstGroup (70%) and Trenitalia (30%) that operates the West Coast Partnership franchise. During November 2016, the Department for Transport (DfT) announced the Inter ...

and

Transport for Wales Transport for Wales (TfW; cy, Trafnidiaeth Cymru; cy, TrC, label=none) is a not-for-profit company owned by the Welsh Government and managed at arms length by its appointed board. TfW oversees the Transport for Wales Group (TfW Group) consi ...

services. Avanti West Coast runs direct trains to London Euston and Transport for Wales operate direct trains to

Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...

and Birmingham International via

Wrexham Wrexham ( ; cy, Wrecsam; ) is a city and the administrative centre of Wrexham County Borough in Wales. It is located between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley, near the border with Cheshire in England. Historically in the count ...

and

Shrewsbury Shrewsbury ( , also ) is a market town, civil parish, and the county town of Shropshire, England, on the River Severn, north-west of London; at the 2021 census, it had a population of 76,782. The town's name can be pronounced as either 'Sh ...

, and

Manchester Piccadilly Manchester Piccadilly is the principal railway station in Manchester, England. Opened as Store Street in 1842, it was renamed Manchester London Road in 1847 and became Manchester Piccadilly in 1960. Located to the south-east of Manchester city ...

via

Warrington Warrington () is a town and unparished area in the borough of the same name in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England, on the banks of the River Mersey. It is east of Liverpool, and west of Manchester. The population in 2019 was estimat ...

. The rail and ferry terminals are connected (for pedestrians and cyclists) to the town centre by

The Celtic Gateway The Celtic Gateway ( cy, Porth Celtaidd) is a stainless steel pedestrian and cycle bridge located in Anglesey, Wales. Opened on 19 October 2006 by Andrew Davies AM to better connect Holyhead's railway station and ferry terminal with the town ...

bridge.

Industry

Until September 2009, Holyhead's main industry was the massive aluminium smelter on the outskirts of the town, operated by

Anglesey Aluminium Anglesey Aluminium was a joint venture between Rio Tinto and Kaiser Aluminum. Its aluminium smelter, located on the outskirts of Holyhead, was one of the largest employers in North Wales, with 540 staff members, and began to produce aluminium i ...

, a subsidiary of

Rio Tinto Rio Tinto, meaning "red river", may refer to: Businesses * Rio Tinto (corporation), an Anglo-Australian multinational mining and resources corporation ** Rio Tinto Alcan, based in Canada ** Rio Tinto Borax in America *** Rio Tinto Borax Mine, a ...

. A large

jetty A jetty is a structure that projects from land out into water. A jetty may serve as a breakwater, as a walkway, or both; or, in pairs, as a means of constricting a channel. The term derives from the French word ', "thrown", signifying somet ...

in the harbour received ships from

Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...

and Australia, and their cargoes of alumina were transported on a rope-driven conveyor belt running underneath the town to the plant. The jetty is now available to dock visiting cruise ships. The plant relied for its electricity supply on

Wylfa nuclear power station Wylfa nuclear power station ( cy, Atomfa'r Wylfa) is a Magnox nuclear power station undergoing decommissioning. Wylfa is situated west of Cemaes Bay on the island of Anglesey, off the northwestern coast of Wales. Construction of the two 490MW nu ...

, near

Cemaes Bay Cemaes () is a village on the north coast of Anglesey in Wales, sited on Cemaes Bay, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty which is partly owned by the National Trust. It is the most northerly village in Wales (excluding the nearby hamlet of L ...

. However, Wylfa was reaching the end of its life and had permission to generate only until 2012. On 18 October 2010, the British government announced that Wylfa was one of the eight sites it considered suitable for future nuclear power stations. Holyhead Port is a major employer, most of the jobs being linked to ferry services to the Republic of Ireland operated by Stena and Irish Ferries. Other significant industrial/transport sector employers in Holyhead include Holyhead Boatyard, Gwynedd Shipping and Eaton Electrical, with the last of these having seen many job losses in 2009. Until the end of 2020 the port, which employs 250 (in 2021), was the second busiest roll-on roll-off port in the UK after Dover with around 450,000 lorries taking ferries to Dublin. Following the

Brexit withdrawal agreement The Brexit withdrawal agreement, officially titled Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community, is a treaty between the European Uni ...

, freight traffic from Ireland fell by 50% in January 2021.

Climate

Like the rest of the

British Isles The British Isles are a group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner and Outer Hebrides, the Northern Isles, ...

and Wales, Holyhead has a

maritime climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ...

with cool summers and mild winters, and often high winds exacerbated by its location by the Irish Sea. The nearest official weather observation station is at

RAF Valley Royal Air Force Valley or more simply RAF Valley ( cy, Llu Awyr Brenhinol Y Fali) is a Royal Air Force station on the island of Anglesey, Wales, and which is also used as Anglesey Airport. It provides both basic and advanced fast-jet training ...

, about southeast of the town centre. On 23 November 1981, Holyhead was struck by two tornadoes during the record-breaking

1981 United Kingdom tornado outbreak The 1981 United Kingdom tornado outbreak is regarded as the largest recorded tornado outbreak in European history. In the span of 5 hours and 26 minutes during the late morning and early afternoon of 23 November 1981, 104 confirmed tornadoes touc ...

. One of the tornadoes, rated as an F2/T4 tornado, was the strongest recorded out of 104 tornadoes in the entire outbreak, causing damage to around 20 properties in Holyhead and destroying a mobile home.

Governance

Holyhead Town Council Holyhead Town Council is an elected community council serving the town of Holyhead in Anglesey, Wales. Background Holyhead Town Council was created in 1974 with the demise of Holyhead Urban District Council and the transfer of many of its powers ...

, which is based at

Holyhead Town Hall Holyhead Town Hall ( cy, Neuadd y Dref Caergybi) is a municipal structure in Newry Street, Holyhead, Wales. The town hall is the meeting place of Holyhead Town Council. History The first municipal building in Holyhead was Holyhead Market Hall ...

, is the town's

community council A community council is a public representative body in Great Britain. In England they may be statutory parish councils by another name, under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007, or they may be non-statutory bodies. In ...

, comprising sixteen councillors elected from the seven community electoral wards. For elections to the

Isle of Anglesey County Council The Isle of Anglesey County Council ( cy, Cyngor Sir Ynys Môn) is the local authority for the county of Anglesey, one of the principal areas of Wales. Since 2022 the council has 35 councillors who represent 11 multi-member electoral wards. His ...

, the Caergybi electoral ward covers the majority of Holyhead and elects three county councillors every four years. In May 2017 the ward elected a Labour Party candidate and two Independents.

Notable people

*Captain John Macgregor Skinner (1761–1832) moved to Holyhead from the US in 1793. Master on packet ships between Holyhead and Dublin but was washed overboard. The town erected an obelisk in his honour and his house is an exhibit at the

Holyhead Maritime Museum The Holyhead Maritime Museum ( cy, Amgueddfa Forwrol Caergybi) is a sea, maritime museum located in Holyhead, North Wales. Housed in what is claimed to be the oldest Lifeboat (rescue), Lifeboat station in Wales (built c. 1858), it houses a numbe ...

. *

John Walpole Willis John Walpole Willis (4 January 1793 – 10 September 1877) was a British judge of Upper Canada, British Guiana (as acting Chief Justice), the Supreme Court of New South Wales, and resident judge at Port Phillip, Melbourne. Early life The s ...

(1793–1877) a Welsh-born judge, and a judge of the Supreme Court of

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

* Sir Ralph Champneys Williams CMG (1848–1927) colonial governor of the

Windward Islands french: Îles du Vent , image_name = , image_caption = ''Political'' Windward Islands. Clockwise: Dominica, Martinique, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Grenada. , image_alt = , locator_map = , location = Caribbean SeaNorth ...

Newfoundland Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...

. *

Lillie Goodisson Lillie Elizabeth Goodisson (née Price; - 10 January 1947) was a Welsh Australian nurse and a pioneer of family planning in New South Wales. Goodisson was born in Holyhead, Wales. She trained as a nurse and at age 19 married London physician L ...

(1860–1947) a Welsh Australian nurse and a pioneer of family planning in

* Francis Dodd RA (1874–1949) a British portrait painter, landscape artist and printmaker *

John Russell (VC) Captain John Fox Russell, VC, MC (27 January 1893 – 6 November 1917) was a Welsh physician, a British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with t ...

(1893–1917) winner of the

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...

, was born in the town *

Ceinwen Rowlands Ceinwen Rowlands (15 January 1905 – 12 June 1983) was a Welsh concert soprano and recording artist. Rowlands was born in Holyhead, Anglesey, the daughter of William and Kate Rowlands; William was the proprietor of the "Anglesey Emporium", ...

(1905–1983) a Welsh concert soprano and recording artist *

R. S. Thomas Ronald Stuart Thomas (29 March 1913 – 25 September 2000), published as R. S. Thomas, was a Welsh poet and Anglican priest ( Church of Wales) noted for nationalism, spirituality and dislike of the anglicisation of Wales. John Betjeman, introduc ...

(1913–2000) a Welsh poet and Anglican priest poet, grew up in Holyhead *

Cledwyn Hughes, Baron Cledwyn of Penrhos Cledwyn Hughes, Baron Cledwyn of Penrhos, (14 September 1916 – 22 February 2001) was a Welsh Labour Party politician, usually associated with the moderate wing of the party. He was also regarded, particularly in later years, as a non-politic ...

(1916–2001) MP & politician; attended

Ysgol Uwchradd Caergybi Ysgol Uwchradd Caergybi is a secondary school in Holyhead, Anglesey. It claims to be the first comprehensive school in England and Wales, opening in 1949 as Holyhead County School. History The school was formed in 1949 with the amalgamation of ...

Barbara Margaret Trimble Barbara Margaret Trimble (née Gill; 15 or 21 February 1921 – 12 November 1995) was a British writer of more than 20 crime novel, crime, Thriller (genre), thriller and romance novel, romance novels between 1967 and 1991, under the names of Mar ...

(1921–1995) a British writer of over 20 crime, thriller and romance novels *

David Crystal David Crystal, (born 6 July 1941) is a British linguist, academic, and prolific author best known for his works on linguistics and the English language. Family Crystal was born in Lisburn, Northern Ireland, on 6 July 1941 after his mother had ...

(born 1941)

linguist Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. It is called a scientific study because it entails a comprehensive, systematic, objective, and precise analysis of all aspects of language, particularly its nature and structure. Linguis ...

and chair of the charity behind Holyhead's

Ucheldre Centre The Ucheldre Centre is an arts centre located in Holyhead, Anglesey, Wales. Architecture Formerly, it was the chapel building of Holyhead's Bon Sauveur order of nuns convent. The main hall of the Centre, with its imposing height and arched ro ...

, lives in Holyhead *

Glenys Kinnock Glenys Elizabeth Kinnock, Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead (''née'' Parry; born 7 July 1944), is a British politician and former teacher who served as Minister of State for Europe from June to October 2009 and Minister of State for Africa and the ...

(born 1944) a politician, MEP, educated at

Holyhead High School Ysgol Uwchradd Caergybi is a secondary school in Holyhead, Anglesey. It claims to be the first comprehensive school in England and Wales, opening in 1949 as Holyhead County School. History The school was formed in 1949 with the amalgamation of ...

Dawn French Dawn Roma French (born 11 October 1957) is a British actress, comedian, presenter and writer. French is known for writing and starring on the BBC comedy sketch show ''French and Saunders'' with her best friend and comedy partner, Jennifer Saunde ...

(born 1957) comedian and actress, co star in ''

French and Saunders ''French and Saunders'' is a British sketch comedy television series written by and starring comedy duo and namesake Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders that originally broadcast on BBC2 from 1987 to 1993, and later on BBC One until 2017. It is al ...

'' *

Albert Owen Albert Owen (born 10 August 1959) is a Welsh people, Welsh Welsh Labour, Labour Party politician who served as Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament (MP) for Ynys Môn (UK Parliament constituency), Ynys Môn from 2001 to 2 ...

(born 1959) politician, MP for Ynys Môn from 2001 to 2019. * Kevin Johnson (born 1960) is a managing partner at Medicxi Ventures, a

venture capital Venture capital (often abbreviated as VC) is a form of private equity financing that is provided by venture capital firms or funds to startups, early-stage, and emerging companies that have been deemed to have high growth potential or which ha ...

firm * Jason Evans (born 1968) a Welsh photographer and lecturer on photography *

Ben Crystal Ben Crystal (born 1977) is an English actor, author, and producer, best known for his work on performing and promoting William Shakespeare and adapting original practices. Background and career Crystal was born in Ascot, Berkshire, the son of l ...

(born 1977) an English actor, author, and producer, brought up in the town * Gareth Williams (1978–2010) worked for

GCHQ Government Communications Headquarters, commonly known as GCHQ, is an intelligence and security organisation responsible for providing signals intelligence (SIGINT) and information assurance (IA) to the government and armed forces of the Unit ...

and SIS died in suspicious circumstances

Sport

* Donough O'Brien (1879–1953), a Welsh-born Irish cricketer. * Ray Williams (born 1959), is weightlifting

Commonwealth Games The Commonwealth Games, often referred to as the Friendly Games or simply the Comm Games, are a quadrennial international multi-sport event among athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930, and, with the exce ...

gold medallist. * Tony Roberts (born 1969), is

Welsh international The Welsh International is an international badminton championship held in Wales since 1928 and is thereby one of the oldest badminton tournaments in the world. The tournament was halted during World War II and until 1956, between 1960 and 1966, a ...

footballer with 614 club caps * Gareth Evans (born 1986), weightlifter, Commonwealth gold medalist and

2012 Summer Olympics The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...

, lives in the town. *

Alex Lynch Alexander Patrick Lynch (born 4 April 1995) is a Welsh football coach and former footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He is currently player/goalkeeping coach at Holyhead Hotspur. Club career Peterborough United Lynch joined Peterborough U ...

(born in 1995), footballer with over 100 club caps, educated in

Culture and sport

Holyhead's arts centre, the

, is located in the chapel of an old convent belonging to the order of the

Bon Sauveur Ensemble Scolaire Le Bon Sauveur is a private school in Le Vésinet, Yvelines, France, in the Paris metropolitan area The Paris metropolitan area (french: aire d'attraction de Paris) is a statistical area that describes the reach of commut ...

. It holds regular arts exhibitions, performances, workshops and film screenings. Holyhead Library is located in the

old market hall Old Market Hall may refer to: * Old Market Hall, Blaenau Ffestiniog * Old Market Hall, Llanidloes * Old Market Hall, Shrewsbury {{Disambiguation ...

. The

is housed in what is claimed to be Wales's oldest

lifeboat Lifeboat may refer to: Rescue vessels * Lifeboat (shipboard), a small craft aboard a ship to allow for emergency escape * Lifeboat (rescue), a boat designed for sea rescues * Airborne lifeboat, an air-dropped boat used to save downed airmen ...

house. The lifeboat station was established in 1828. The 1927

National Eisteddfod The National Eisteddfod of Wales (Welsh: ') is the largest of several eisteddfodau that are held annually, mostly in Wales. Its eight days of competitions and performances are considered the largest music and poetry festival in Europe. Competitors ...

was held in the town.

(previously County Secondary school) was the first comprehensive school in the UK. According to the

United Kingdom Census 2001 A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194. The 2001 UK census was organised by the Office for National ...

, 47% of the residents in the town can speak

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...

. The highest percentage of speakers is the 15-year-old age group, of whom 66% can speak the language. According to the 2011 Census, of those in the community who were born in Wales, 52.2% of the population could speak Welsh. The town's main

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

team is called Holyhead Hotspur and they play in the

Cymru North The Cymru North is a regional football league in Wales, covering the northern half of the country. It has clubs with semi-professional status and together with the Cymru South, it forms the second tier of the Welsh football league system. The fir ...

, the second tier of Welsh football, with their reserves playing in the

Gwynedd League The Gwynedd Football League was a football league at the fifth level of the Welsh football league system in north-west Wales. The league folded in 2020 due to a reorganisation of the Welsh football league pyramid, with many teams joining the No ...

. Caergybi F.C. play in the sixth tier

Anglesey League The Anglesey Football League was a football league in Anglesey, Wales, and was equivalent to the sixth level of the Welsh football league system in North Wales. The champions were promoted to the Gwynedd League. The league also runs five cup com ...

. Holyhead Sailing Club provides members with facilities for sailing and kayaking with swinging moorings, a dinghy park and a clubhouse with restaurant and bar. It is on Newry Beach in the historic port of Holyhead. Holyhead & Anglesey Amateur Boxing Club was founded on 1 April 2012, located in Vicarage Lane, Holyhead. The club is open to anyone over the age of 10, having a class for male and female trainees. Holyhead's cliffs are used for

coasteering Coasteering is movement along the intertidal zone of a rocky coastline on foot or by swimming, without the aid of boats, surf boards or other craft. Coasteering allows a person to move in the “impact zone” between a body of water and the coa ...

, a water sport which involves jumping off cliffs at different heights. Holyhead is the start and finish point of the

Anglesey Coastal Path The Anglesey Coastal Path (formally the Isle of Anglesey Coastal Path) is a long-distance footpath around the island of Anglesey (Ynys Môn) in North Wales. The route is part of the Wales Coast Path. Description The path mainly follows the c ...

. Holyhead was officially twinned with

Greystones, County Wicklow Greystones () is a coastal town and seaside resort in County Wicklow, Ireland. It lies on Ireland's east coast, south of Bray and south of Dublin city centre and has a population of 18,140 (2016). The town is bordered by the Irish Sea to ...

on 20 January 2012, and this is celebrated on a new road sign.

References

External links

Holyhead Regeneration WebsiteHolyhead Town CouncilWelcome to Holyhead
{{authority control Towns in Anglesey