What a year for Kernow.
What can one say about 2025 as a year for Kernow? Definitely spann! even bryntin! Yes its been a most successful year for Cornish culture and excepting any backtracking by the Westminster Labour government, politically as well. No cross-border mergers enabling our ancient national boundary remains fully in place and no English mayoral system being thrust upon us.
The fact that Cornish politicians from across the major parties and independents, excluding of course Reform, worked together at local, national and Westminster level helped ensure this outcome. Greater recognition of the Cornish people beyond that provided in 2014 under the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities grows. The goal for Kernow now is for fifth nation status as one of the five Celtic nation of the United Kingdom, providing further enhancement and acknowledgement for the Cornish people. With the UK government acknowledging a Palestinian State for the Palestinian people, how could it now refuse the same for its own Cornish people. Kernow has defined borders and acknowledged by the Crown as a nation since medieval times. Now is the time for the UK government to confirm nationhood for Kernow with a strong and meaningful devolution deal providing equality with Cymru and Alba.
Over 24,000 people signed the recent petition supporting the call for acknowledgement of Cornish statehood despite little publicity. In the 2021 census the number of people identifying themselves as Cornish increased by over 30,000 since the previous census to 103,000. Had the UK government allowed a tick box as requested there’s no doubt that this figure would have been far higher. Young people are now rising to the challenge with greater use of Kernewek, the Cornish language. Mebyon Kernow the Party for Cornwall now had an active youth group Kernow Rydh, who are making waves.
Cornish cultural activities in music and dance and other performing arts are on the rise, led increasingly by younger people. Festivals with Cornish and Celtic themes increase in popularity every year, which includes Cornwall’s national day celebrating St Piran. One sees greater numbers of Baner Sen Peren, St Piran’s flags, flying on churches, council buildings and businesses. People of Cornwall are showing their pride of being Cornish and the numbers continue to grow. Internationally Cornwall is making itself known. In 2026 Cornwall has been chosen as the Honoured Nation at the Lorient Interceltic Festival. Grand Bard of the Cornish Gorsedh, Jenefer Lowe, said ‘Cornwall has proudly participated in the Lorient Festival since the 1970’s… Being chosen as the 2026 Honoured Nation is a tremendous honour and an opportunity to share Cornwall’s rich Celtic culture on an international stage.’ Tremendous stuff!
Joining the other Celtic languages of the United Kingdom Kernewek has been granted Part III protection under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. This is another great step forward, but much more is still needed to ensure Kernewek grows into a fully used living language. It’s wonderful to hear people having a conversation in Kernewek, may this grow. Everyone can play their part by using words and phrases throughout their daily lives orally and in writing.
New funding is being provided for Cornwall’s mineral industries with Cornwall considered a strategic mineral resource. That this provides jobs and economic benefits for Cornish people is important for Cornwall. Less economic reliance on the tourist industry should be encouraged and welcome.
For our group Celtic Nation Kernow it has been a mixed year. After some 100 years the International Celtic Congress (ICC) has sadly folded. The end was in sight with too few younger people willing to take up roles in organising the various groups across the six Celtic nations making up the ICC. Seeing the writing on the wall early in 2024 the Kernow branch rebranded itself and began a vigorous effort to rebuild. Now with hundreds of members through its free online membership portal and far higher numbers of followers on social media it is preparing to increase its interaction across Kernow and the other Celtic nations. Let’s hope there are people willing to support this endeavour and all the other work being carried out in Kernow by people who love and cherish ours and the other Celtic nations.
Bledhen Nowydh da