Launched on the 8 February 1877 at the price of one penny, each issue of Y Genedl Gyrmreig contained eight pages. The paper was Liberal in its politics. With six columns per page, there was plenty of room for all kinds of news. Issue two of 15 February 1877 printed advertisements in Welsh and English on its front page. On page six, there were reports from many towns in Wales: Abermaw, Bala, Bangor, Bethesda, Dolgellau, Portmadog. Births, Marriages and Deaths appeared on page four. The publisher is named as Robert Williams. Issue number nineteen, of 14 June 1877, prints double columns of advertisements in English, with 'George's Pile and Gravel Pills' taking a prominent place. Besides news and advertisements, Welsh poetry occupied two columns in issue number thirty-seven of 18 October 1877. Letters were normally included.

The advertisement for the paper printed in Mitchell's Press Directory for 1878 stated: 'Guaranteed circulation of 21,000 weekly. The largest Welsh newspaper published, circulating most extensively amongst the commercial, agricultural, and general Welsh reading population in every part of the Kingdom.'

Notices of Eisteddfodau, an annual competitive festival of Welsh poets and musicians, were frequent. By 1889, the newspaper had increased in size to seven columns per page. Issue number 619, of 9 January 1889, showed how far horizons were opening; it featured an advertisement for 'American Line. United States Mail Steamers - Liverpool to Philadelphia. Every Wednesday'. The same issue also carried an editorial entitled 'Dewisiad (choice) Lloyd George'-an indicator of the impact he was starting to have in the public life and politics of the Carnarvon area. Fiction was also serialised, both Welsh originals and translations from English. The newspaper continued to be published with this title until 1914, when it was renamed Y Genedl, which was incorporated with Yr Herald Cymraeg in 1937.