St Ishmael, Carmarthenshire

51°44′42″N 4°22′12″W / 51.745°N 4.370°W / 51.745; -4.370 St Ishmael (Welsh: Llanismel or Llanishmael) is a hamlet[1] and community in Carmarthenshire, Wales. The community population taken at the 2011 census was 1,370.[2] It comprises the villages of Ferryside and Llansaint and the surrounding rural areas. The community is bordered by the communities of: Llandyfaelog; Kidwelly; Pembrey and Burry Port Town; and Llansteffan, all being in Carmarthenshire. It is named for the 6th-century Breton prince and Welsh saint Isfael.

View of St Ishmael, on the East of the River Tywi, taken from Llansteffan Castle on the West.

Governance edit

An electoral ward in the same name existed. This ward stretched north from St. Ishmael to include Llandyfaelog, with a total population of 2,674.[3] Local county councillor, Mair Stephens, died on 9 January 2022 after a long illness. She had been an Independent county councillor for St Ishmael since 2004, becoming deputy leader of the county council.[4]

Following a local government boundary review (and despite opposition from St Ishmael's and Llandyfaelog's community councils), the St Ishmael ward was reconfigured, losing Llandyfaelog and combining with neighbouring Kidwelly to become 'Kidwelly and St Ishmael' from the May 2022 local elections. The new ward elects two county councillors.[5]

References edit

  1. ^ "St Ishmael, Carmarthenshire (Sir Gaerfyrddin)". OS GetOutside. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
  2. ^ "Community population 2011". Retrieved 16 April 2015.
  3. ^ "Ward population 2011". Retrieved 16 April 2015.
  4. ^ Robert Harries (11 January 2022). "Tributes paid to 'phenomenal' Carmarthenshire council deputy leader Mair Stephens who has died". Wales Online. Retrieved 23 January 2022.
  5. ^ "Review of the Electoral Arrangements of the County of Carmarthenshire – Final Recommendations Report" (PDF). Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales. October 2019. pp. 33–36. Retrieved 23 July 2022.