Dyfed

County of south-west Wales, extant between 1974 and 1996. The name given to the new county under the Local Government Act of 1972 was derived from that of the post-Roman kingdom. At the statute of Rhuddlan in 1284, the county of Cardiganshire was created, and by the Act of Union with England in 1536, Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire. It was not until 1972 that these were united as a new county and given the name Dyfed. The county had little in the way of contemporary common interest and in 1996 authority reverted to the former three counties and Dyfed as a formal administrative area ceased to exist.

A region of south-western Wales much associated with the action of the Mabinogi, the home of Pwyll, and one of the most Irish-influenced areas of the principality. The modern county of Dyfed, created 1974, containing the former shires of Pembroke, Carmarthen, and Cardigan, is far more extensive than the ancient kingdom. The Romans called the region Demetia after the P-Celtic people Demetae, who had lived here from pre-Roman times. From late Roman times the area was invaded and settled by the Déisi and by the ‘sons of Liathán’, the Uí Liatháin of what is now east Co. Cork, whose descendants formed the ruling dynasty until at least the 10th century. In Irish stories these invaders are described as the Déisi, from adjacent Co. Waterford, as led by Eochaid (9). The first and third branches of the Mabinogi are set here, both concerning the family of Pwyll, Lord of Dyfed. Pryderi, son of Pwyll, who figures in all four branches, is born in Dyfed. A mysterious realm lies within or beside it, where Pwyll loses his companions while hunting and comes face to face with fearful Arawn, king of the deathly realm of Annwfn. In the third branch Manawydan is given land in Dyfed when suddenly, following a thunderclap, it is left desolate, without creature or habitation. Later it is revealed that this enchantment was caused by Llwyd in revenge for the treatment of Gwawl; Llwyd then restores the land. Pendaran is the ‘chief thunderer of Dyfed’. According to medieval materials collected in The Myvyrrian Archaiology of Wales (1801–7), giving characteristics of the people of different parts of the principality, those from Dyfed are serfs.

For the sub-Roman and medieval kingdom, see Kingdom of Dyfed.

Dyfed
Geography
Status	Welsh county
1974 area	5765.75 km²
1996 area	5765.75 km² Ranked 1st
HQ	Carmarthen
History
Origin	Kingdom of Dyfed
Created	1974
Abolished	1996
Succeeded by	Carmarthenshire, Cardiganshire, Pembrokeshire Preserved county of Dyfed
Demography
1971 population	316,369
1992 population	351,100 (estimate)
2007 population	375,200 (estimate)[1] Ranked 5th
Politics
Governance	Dyfed County Council
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Dyfed (Welsh pronunciation: [ˈdəvɛd]) is a preserved county of Wales.

Dyfed was created by the Local Government Act 1972 on 1 April 1974. It was formed from the administrative counties of Cardiganshire, Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire and was divided into local government districts as so:

Administrative county 1889-1974	Local government districts 1974-1996
Cardiganshire	Ceredigion
Carmarthenshire	Carmarthen, Dinefwr, Llanelli
Pembrokeshire	Preseli, South Pembroke

The Lord Lieutenant of Dyfed had previously been the Lord Lieutenant of Pembrokeshire, with the Lord Lieutenant of Cardiganshire and Lord Lieutenant of Carmarthenshire becoming Lieutenants. The Dyfed-Powys Police had been created a number of years earlier.

The Local Government (Wales) Act 1994 broke up Dyfed and restored the ancient counties for administrative purposes on 1 April 1996: Cardiganshire (the council of which renamed itself Ceredigion), Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire. The name Dyfed was retained for purely ceremonial purposes such as Lieutenancy and is not used for geographical or postal purposes.

Dyfed as a preserved county since 2003

References

1. ^ Office for National Statistics - 2007 estimate (using 2003 preserved borders for Camarthenshire, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire

v • d • e Preserved counties of Wales Counties of the Lieutenancies Act 1997 Clwyd • Dyfed • Gwent • Gwynedd • Mid Glamorgan • Powys • South Glamorgan • West Glamorgan

v • d • e Local government in Wales Principal areas established in 1996 Blaenau Gwent · Bridgend · Caerphilly · Cardiff · Carmarthenshire · Ceredigion · Conwy · Denbighshire · Flintshire · Gwynedd · Isle of Anglesey · Merthyr Tydfil · Monmouthshire · Neath Port Talbot · Newport · Pembrokeshire · Powys · Rhondda Cynon Taf · Swansea · Torfaen · Vale of Glamorgan · Wrexham Counties and districts 1974–1996 Clwyd Alyn and Deeside · Colwyn · Delyn · Glyndŵr · Rhuddlan · Wrexham Maelor Dyfed Carmarthen · Ceredigion · Dinefwr · Llanelli · Preseli Pembrokeshire · South Pembrokeshire Gwent Blaenau Gwent · Islwyn · Monmouth · Newport · Torfaen Gwynedd Aberconwy · Anglesey · Arfon · Dwyfor · Meirionnydd Mid Glamorgan Cynon Valley · Merthyr Tydfil · Ogwr · Rhondda · Rhymney Valley · Taff-Ely Powys Brecknock · Montgomeryshire · Radnorshire South Glamorgan Cardiff · Vale of Glamorgan West Glamorgan Lliw Valley · Neath · Port Talbot · Swansea Counties established before 1889 Anglesey · Brecknockshire · Caernarfonshire · Cardiganshire · Carmarthenshire · Denbighshire · Flintshire · Glamorganshire · Merionethshire · Monmouthshire · Montgomeryshire · Pembrokeshire · Radnorshire

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