Howell Evans died on 21 January 2012 aged 104.
He was born in Anglesea but spent most of his life in Dublin.
You can see and hear his recollections of the Welsh Chapel in Talbot Street, of which he was member.[recorded in early 2011]
He was also a member of the Dublin Welsh Male Voice Choir, which is where I first met him in the early 1970s.
Howell was Welsh to the core and a gentleman to boot.
Y llygaid na all agor.
When writing his book about the Welsh Chapel in Talbot St., Wrth Angor yn Nulyn, H. Ll. Williams spoke to Howell Evans and included some of Howell's memories of the Little Chapel (Bethel) in the book. The extract below is from the English translation, by the author's son, published by the Genealogical Society of Ireland this year (2012)under the title At Anchorage in Dublin.
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Howell Evans was six years old when he came to Dublin; his father J. T. Evans worked as a railway instructor. In 1916 the family of four moved to Holyhead. After the trouble ceased in Ireland they moved back to Dublin in 1924:
'I became a member of the little chapel when I was sixteen years of age having been accepted as a full member in Disgwylfa chapel, Holyhead by Rev, H.D. Hughes. In Bethel I was the organist for some time. I remember being in Lloyd-Jones's class for young people that was held before the service at 11.00 a.m. the service starting at 11.30 a.m. It was an interesting class of about 8 and 9 members. I looked forward to hearing ap Huwco preaching - the lame Baptist minister from Rhosneigr. He was an eloquent preacher and he charmingly sang at the end of his sermon and recited some poetry that he had composed. If it were not for the chapel I would have lost all my Welsh. My wife is Irish but knows a few Welsh words. After John Lewis left we had students from Bangor, North Wales to preach on Sunday during the winter months, and I enjoyed listening to them. I now worship in the Church of Ireland.'
Howell Evans was an eminent member of St David's Society in Ireland.
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