FORMER Gwynedd councillor, Dafydd Iwan, takes part in an hour-long episode of Sgwrs Dan y Lloer tonight Monday (17 October).

Presenter Elin Fflur travels to the Snowdonia mountains to meet Dafydd, the former Bontnewydd councillor.

Accompanied by a roaring fire and the stars, Elin gets to hear about the extraordinary life and career of one of the most notable figures in recent Welsh history, and one of the busiest. A a singer, composer, campaigner, politician, preacher, and businessman, he lives in Caeathro with wife Bethan, and Wini the dog.

His father was a minister and his mother a teacher - both Welsh nationalists, and his grandfather was one of the founders of Plaid Cymru. Being a nationalist was natural to Dafydd.

He has campaigned enthusiastically over the Welsh language, even spending time in prison, and has stood several times for Plaid Cymru and as a member of Gwynedd Council. He was also one of the founders of Sain Studio in 1969.

Religion and faith are also a big part of his life, and he preaches regularly. The chapels, regardless of the numbers, are important institutions, according to Dafydd, and the discipline to go anchors him.

“They keep the flame going in a very real way and it helps me to keep my feet on the ground, even if my head is in the clouds!” he said.

Perhaps an unexpected element in Dafydd’s life and career is football. Certainly, he is the man of the moment in Welsh football with the World Cup in Qatar picking up the momentum.

His iconic song, Yma o Hyd, has a special place in the hearts of Welsh football fans and the team. Dafydd was at the Wales game against Austria singing this song, and then again at the incredible game when Wales won their place in the World Cup against Ukraine in front of 30,000 people. The response was astounding.

“It’s a period that’s almost unreal now,” said Dafydd.

“When the red wall came in on that first chorus, it was like being hit by an otherworldly force.

“It was an amazing experience. And a very powerful experience.”

One of the most moving things about the performance are the tears in his eyes.

This isn’t unusual for Dafydd when he sings, but he admits that it wasn’t possible to do anything else in that situation.

He said: “I was singing a song I’ve sung for almost 40 years and here are the thousands of football fans - Welsh and non-Welsh speakers - singing it back to me.”

See this one-hour long episode of Sgwrs Dan y Lloer to hear more about all the different elements that belong to Dafydd Iwan’s extraordinary life and a chance to enjoy a very special duet at the end of the programme.

Sgwrs Dan y Lloer is on tonight, Monday, 17 October, at 8pm.

Welsh and English subtitles are available.

The show will also be on demand on S4C Clic, iPlayer and other platforms.