 Clwyd ( Welsh pronunciation : [ ˈklʊɨd ] ) is a preserved county of Wales , situated in the north @-@ east corner of the country ; it is named after the River Clwyd , which runs through the county . To the north lies the Irish Sea , Cheshire is to the east and Shropshire to the south @-@ east , both in England . The Welsh counties of Powys and Gwynedd lie to the south and west respectively . Clwyd additionally shares a maritime border with the metropolitan county of Merseyside along the River Dee . Between 1974 and 1996 , it was a county with a county council , one of the eight counties into which Wales was divided , and was subdivided into six districts . In 1996 , the county of Clwyd was abolished , and the new unitary authorities of Conwy County Borough , Denbighshire , and Flintshire were created ; under this reorganisation , " Clwyd " became a preserved county , with the name being retained for certain ceremonial functions . 
