A GWENT AM has paid tribute to the contributions to Welsh culture made through the country’s links to Ireland.

Speaking in the Senedd last week Plaid Cymru’s Steffan Lewis said the “bond” between the two countries had greatly enriched both.

“The flow of people between Wales and Ireland spans millennia and, of course, led to a Welshman becoming their patron saint,” he said.

“Of course, not all visits over the years from across the Irish sea were of a friendly nature, and not all were universally welcomed here.

“Indeed, notable Welsh figures such as Iolo Morganwg lamented the arrival of Irish people to the shores of Pembrokeshire and Anglesey following the rebellion of 1798.”

Mr Lewis also marked those who fled to Wales during the potato famine of the 1840s

“The Irish community have enriched Welsh life, providing us with sportspeople, artists, workers, friends, and even a health minister, and 2016 marks the centenary of the Irish proclamation of independence, a period and an event in which Wales featured,” he said.

Mr Lewis was speaking as part of a new initiative in which three selected AMs are given 90 seconds during Plenary to speak about a subject of their choice.