Eisteddfod honours First Minister Carwyn Jones

First Minister Carwyn Jones has been honoured for services to the Welsh nation at Wales' premier cultural festival, the National Eisteddfod.

He entered the Gorsedd of the Bards as an honorary druid alongside former footballer John Hartson and opera singer Wynne Evans.

Mr Jones attended a ceremony at Llandow, Vale of Glamorgan.

Meanwhile, the highly-coveted prize for poetry, the chair, has been awarded to journalist Dylan Iorwerth.

The Gorsedd honours those who have made a contribution to Wales, its language and its culture.

Honorary druids are those who have succeeded in the fields of law, science, sports, journalism, media and local or national activities.

Mr Jones - who was given the bardic name Carwyn Aman Ogwr - said it had been a "truly special day" for him and his family.

Carwyn Jones entered the Gorsedd of the Bards at a ceremony in Llandow

"It is a great honour to be called to the Gorsedd and be recognised alongside individuals who have achieved so much in their respective fields," he added.

He also praised this year's eisteddfod, which has been held all week in Llandow.

"The Vale of Glamorgan has welcomed the National Eisteddfod with open arms and I want to thank all those involved who have made it a reality," he said.

"This festival is an important event for Wales as a crucial celebration of our culture and language."

Prestigious prizes

Meanwhile, the Eisteddfod chair was awarded to Mr Iorwerth for a sequence of poems motivated by the death of his father, Thomas Edward Jones - or Twm Glasbwll - earlier this year.

They were written in his memory, and are also a tribute to his mother, Gweneirys, who lives in Caernarfon.

Dylan Iorwerth was motivated to write the poems by the death of his father

Mr Iorwerth, of Llanwnnen near Lampeter, is managing editor of the current affairs magazine Golwg and the online news service, Golwg360.

He joins a small group of poets and writers who have won three prestigious prizes at the National Eisteddfod - the chair, the crown and the prose medal.

A total of 21,037 people attended the event on Friday.

Elsewhere, police say about £2,000 worth of money and goods were stolen from 40 different stalls at the eisteddfod on Thursday night.

Officers have spoken to the event's managers about improving security at night, and have been told there will be more security on site on Friday night.