Travellers Lives Matter
"Washing one's hands of the conflict between the powerful and the powerless means to side with the powerful, not to be neutral"
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- Paulo Freire (1985, p. 122)
Traveller Visibility Group is a Traveller-led Cork-based organisation that brings the settled community and Travellers together in order to facilitate community development work for the Traveller community.
The Traveller Visibility Group was set up in 1992 by three inspiring Traveller women: Anne Burke, Helen Casey and Chrissie O'Sullivan, who came together to advocate on behalf of their community, which at the time were living in unofficial sites throughout the city without basic services like water and electricity and toilets. At this time, there was no seat at the table for Travellers and their voices were mediated by others, who spoke for them rather than with them. The three women who co-founded TVG set out to change this and TVG is founded on the principles of community development as well as 'Nothing About Us Without Us'. TVG has now grown and supports Travellers throughout the city and ensures our voices are heard, and we are well represented in all decision-making forums.
Traveller women activists, researchers and advocates
The original recyclers of Ireland
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Irish Travellers are an Indigenous ethnic minority, representing less than 1% of the general population in Ireland. According to the census results, the number of Irish Travellers living in the Irish State was 32,949 (Central Statistics Office, 2022). Several contrasting theories attempt to explain the origins and early history of Irish Travellers. One common myth is that Irish Travellers originated from the Great Famine when people took to the roads during British rule. It was used for decades to promote the assimilation and settlement of Travellers, but this myth has been ruled out due to a lack of supporting evidence. A study on the DNA of Irish Travellers provided evidence that Travellers pre-dated Cromwellian and Famine times (Gilbert et al., 2017). This points to Irish Travellers' ancient roots linked to early Celtic Ireland (see Cork Traveller Women’s Network with animator Hazel Hurley, 2020: A short history of Irish Travellers).
As the name suggests, Travellers have a nomadic history often associated with barrel-top wagons. They made a living moving from place to place, trading animals, crafts and creative hand-made items, alongside providing a variety of trades, including tin-smithing and farming services. The skill and craftsmanship of tin-smithing were an important part of Irish life before the mass production of plastic took over and made Traveller's sustainable and environmentally friendly products a thing of the past (National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, 2023). In recent years, however, many within the community are trying to revive the craft. For example, in 2017, the Galway Traveller Movement's flagship social enterprise, BounceBack Recycling, was established to create employment opportunities for members of the Traveller community. Repurposing old mattresses has been a way for members of the Traveller community to reclaim their identity, bringing them in touch with their traditional roots as people who repurposed old material and breathed new life into unwanted items (see Western Development Commission, 2017).
The Cork Folklore Project and the Cork Traveller Women’s Network have been collaborating for many years, and their recent project, ‘Circular Tales’ in collaboration with the Energy Research Institute at UCC, shares stories and memories of the circular economy through attention to the re-use, recycle and repair of many household objects and items in contrast to “disposal, convenience and planned obsolescence” (O'Carroll and Furey 2024: np; see also a film of an event held at the Triskell in Cork can be accessed at this link: https://corkfolklore.org/)
Traditionally, Traveller women ventured door to door, often trading and selling items such as tin wares made by tinsmiths and paper flowers. Traveller women made paper flowers by twisting and folding brightly coloured crepe paper to make petals around a wire stem. They were sold door to door and at horse fairs as a source of income (see Cork Traveller Women’s Network, 2020: Traveller Paper Flowers - an example of traditional Traveller craft and symbol of pride, identity and heritage). At this time, fresh flowers were not always readily available; therefore, selling paper flowers meant that Travellers could offer a cheaper, longer-lasting and sustainable alternative (National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, 2023). As Traveller families moved around the country, Traveller women also had a tradition of gifting and swapping buttons and relics from their Beady Pockets, which were a handmade traditional item of clothing often worn by Traveller women around their waist (see Cork Traveller Women’s Network, n.d.: Beady Pockets - a symbol of Traveller culture & identity). The pockets were a collection of memories that served as reminders of the roads they had travelled (National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, 2023).
Travellers are also known to have a central role in the development of traditional Irish music, particularly fiddle playing and uileann piping (Toraig on the Tobar, n.d.: information brochure, Irish Travellers An Mincéir, Pavee, Lucht siúil). For generations, Travellers brought songs and stories from town to town and developed unique singing styles, storytelling and playing musical instruments. Through music, Travellers could pass on their cultural heritage both within the Traveller community and the non-Traveller community (National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, 2023). Singing in the Traveller community has always been strong, explains Thomas McCarthy, Traveller singer, storyteller, and winner of the Gradam Ceoil (see TradTG4, 2019: Thomas McCarthy - Rambling Man | Gradam Ceoil TG4 2019 | Amhránaí na Bliana :). He says in an interview with the Offaly Independent:
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Back in the time when I was growing up, every Traveller family had a great store of songs, and as they travelled the length and breadth of the country there was always a few more songs to be collected. (Grennan, 2018)
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Other Traveller singers and songwriters include the Furey Brothers, Sharyn Ward, Pecker Dunne, Rosie McCarthy, Mary Keenan and Trish Reilly.
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History of anti-Traveller racism
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Travellers’ way of life changed profoundly, and the economic relationship between Travellers and the settled population declined due to changes in Irish society, including rural depopulation, mechanisation of farming, the advent of plastic, and rapid industrialisation (Joyce et al., 2022). These changes resulted in the loss of defined roles, which not only provided income and status for Travellers within Irish society but also supported nomadism as an expression of identity (Irish Traveller Movement, 2019).
By the 1940s, it had become common practice to move Travellers off the land needed for building, and in the 1960s, a national state assimilation and settlement policy for Travellers was established (Joyce et al., 2022). This was linked to the 1963 Commission on Itinerancy Report, which became national policy for 20 years. The mindset created by the 1963 report – that Travellers were a broken people to be fixed – has remained for many years and has done a lot of damage to Traveller culture since (Toraig on the Tobar, n.d.: information brochure, Irish Travellers An Mincéir, Pavee, Lucht siúil). The report showed strong similarities with assimilationist policies used against other Indigenous and nomadic peoples, including the Aboriginal people in Australia, Canada, and other parts of Europe (National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, 2023).
Impact of racism and discrimination
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Although Travellers are legally protected from discrimination under the Equal Status Acts and Employment Acts, a life-long experience for many Travellers, including children, is being stereotyped and routinely denied services (see Hennessy, 2022; and Mcgrath 2023). The extent of discrimination against the Traveller community in Irish society is such that it is not uncommon for Travellers to make deliberate attempts to hide their identity or to choose not to disclose it (National Traveller Women’s Forum, 2013). The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) (2020) observed that 65% of Travellers reported experiencing discrimination, one of the highest reported rates within the six European countries it surveyed: Belgium, France, Ireland, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
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Experiences in education
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Research about Travellers' experiences in education points to issues such as discrimination, apparent lack of engagement in school, problematic relationships with peers and teachers, and a strong sense of not belonging (National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, 2023). Discrimination was highlighted in the Travellers of North Cork report, undertaken by Dr Patricia McGrath (Adult Continuing Education at University College Cork), whereby the teacher-child relationship was very much dependent on the teacher’s attitude towards Traveller children. Other issues raised by the report that provided barriers to inclusion were the financial cost of pre-exams, the lack of support for progression to further or higher education and the encouragement of early school leaving by some teachers. These kinds of experiences can be traumatic for the children and their parents. As one respondent from a school said, “There is a big gap in the system, and it's the square peg in the round hole” (McGrath, 2023: p. 80).
Over-policed as suspects and under-policed as victims
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While underrepresented in further education, Irish Travellers are overrepresented in the prison population. Although there are no official statistics on the number of Travellers within the prison system, it has been estimated that Travellers account for 7.3% of the prison population, whereby “Traveller men account for 7% of that male prison population, and Traveller women account for 14.4% of the women prison population” (Joyce et al., 2022: 109). The statistics are stark, and by comparison, the risk of being imprisoned for Traveller women is 18 times that of non-Traveller women (All Ireland Traveller Health Study Team, 2010).
Like other Indigenous and (or) minority groups over-represented in penal systems internationally, Irish Travellers have a history of difficult relations with the institutions of criminal justice (Joyce et al., 2022). The Irish Penal Reform Trust report on Travellers in the Irish Prison Service highlights some of the particular concerns of Traveller women in prison, whereby the combination of issues faced by Traveller women culminate to form a series of unique challenges (Costello, 2014). These include the negative impact of being separated from family, discrimination, a lack of sufficient recognition of Traveller's identity and culture, and layers of stigma (see also Jillian Butler on The Two Norries Podcast, 2021).
From a community perspective, Eileen O’Shea, Director of Operations at Traveller Visibility Group, explains that Traveller women are over-policed as suspects but under-policed as victims (E. O’Shea, personal communication, September 13, 2023). For example, the chilling effect of ‘the cruelty man’ (a social worker that could remove Traveller children from their mothers) lingers in the Traveller community. It is a very real fear, Eileen O’Shea tells us, as the threat of losing their children can result in the closure of safe harbours for Traveller women. It is discriminatory practices like this that lead to underreporting of crime and a feeling amongst Travellers that the gardaí does not protect them (see Joyce et al., 2022).
Hidden homelessness
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Travellers comprise a disproportionate proportion of the homeless population in Ireland (National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, 2023). An advocacy paper on the Traveller community and homelessness found that approximately 39% of Travellers meet the European definition of homelessness, including the large number of Travellers who are experiencing ‘hidden homelessness’ in overcrowded living conditions (PAVEE POINT TRAVELLER AND ROMA CENTRE, 2021). They also found that around 3,000 Travellers live in unofficial sites or on the side of the road without access to basic facilities such as running water, electricity and toilets (ibid.).
The high number of families living without permanent accommodation or in inadequate accommodation has significant consequences for Traveller women. As outlined in the National Traveller Women Forum’s (NTWF) Gender Position Paper, women spend more time in the home and are the primary carers, so they tend to bear the brunt of having to cope with conditions such as lack of running water, poor sanitation and unsafe areas for children to play. This can affect women’s mental health as they cope with a challenging combination of tasks, such as looking after the family, making sure the children have education and being the critical point of contact with frontline service providers (ibid.).
Maternity care and beyond
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Traveller communities face stark inequalities in maternal health outcomes, associated with major barriers to accessing care services, among other factors such as wider detriments of health, discrimination and mistrust of public services and state bodies (Hollinshead, Gavin and Byram, 2023; and Reid and Taylor, 2007). Political and structural factors, such “as the direct discriminatory barriers created by general practitioner services, indirect discrimination arising from dysfunctional communication and control of information, poor housing and lack of public transport were the basic causes of inequity of access to care” (Reid and Taylor, 2017: p. 248).
While women were hesitant to mention experiences of direct discrimination in Reid and Taylor’s research, it has been indicated as a clear trend whereby discrimination, or a fear of it, creates a major barrier to Traveller patient engagement with health services in maternity care and beyond (see Hollinshead, Gavin and Byram, 2023). For instance, a group of Traveller women in Cork shared that they had been treated differently within the maternity unit at St Finbarr’s in Cork. They described Traveller women giving birth in room 20, a room specifically for Traveller women, up to and through the mid-90s (personal communication, September 13, 2023).
A unique microbiome
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Travellers’ experiences of persistent levels of discrimination, inadequate living conditions and a legacy of state failure to recognise Traveller culture lead them to score poorly on every indicator used to measure the social determinants of health. The All Ireland Traveller Health Study Team (2010) found that Traveller women are expected to live on average 11 years less than women in the general population. On average, Traveller men are expected to live 15.1 years less than men in the general population. Furthermore, Traveller infants are 3.6 times more likely to die than infants in the general population (ibid.). The suicide rate in the Traveller community is also statistically significant. The All Ireland Traveller Health Study Team (2010) reported that suicide rates of both young men and women are high. The contributing factors to suicide levels among Travellers are varied, including social segregation, ineffective social policies and socio-economic difficulties (Brown, 2020).
Professor Fergus Shanahan’s (University College Cork) research on Traveller microbiome is a story to be celebrated. In 2022, when scientists met with the Traveller community to study the microbiome of Irish Travellers, they found that Irish Travellers have retained an ancient or non-industrialised microbiome, which differs from that of the non-Traveller settled community (see a summary video of findings of the APC Microbiome Ireland, 2022-b: Why the microbiome of Irish Travellers is important for everyone). A nomadic way of life and horse ownership, which plays a central and multi-faceted role in Traveller culture, is deeply entwined with the distinct microbiome of Irish Travellers.
However, enforced changes in traditional lifestyle and living conditions have affected the Traveller's microbiome. A collaboration between APC Microbiome Ireland, The Traveller Visibility Group (TVG) and Travellers of North Cork found that those who were nomadic in childhood and are now living in a house appear to be losing their distinct microbiome (APC Microbiome Ireland, 2022-b). Knowing that Travellers have a unique microbiome is significant to the community. John O’Sullivan, a Traveller Visibility Group Development Worker, explained: “We hope this research will help us get support to restore some of our heritage and preserve our unique way of life” (APC Microbiome Ireland, 2022-a: para. 3).
Traveller activism in Ireland
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National and local Traveller-led community development organisations throughout Ireland have been mobilising since the 1960s, and their efforts have led to landmark changes in legislative and policy reforms. One of the early significant milestones was ensuring Traveller representatives were influential key stakeholders in the Task Force on the Travelling Community. This resulted in the State's acknowledgement that without community consultation, state policies would fail (National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, 2023). Another milestone was a lengthy, drawn-out campaign by Travellers, rights groups, and international pressure for the recognition of Travellers’ ethnic minority status, which materialised in March 2017 (see Joyce et al., 2022; and PAVEE POINT TRAVELLER AND ROMA CENTRE, 2017). This was a significant step towards equal rights for Travellers and provided a better opportunity to combat discrimination.
Traveller women as activists, researchers and advocates
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Traveller women play a central role in Traveller society. In the domestic sphere, they assume responsibility for child rearing, care of the home and the welfare of their families (National Traveller Women’s Forum, 2013). However, this is a changing dynamic as more Traveller women combine domestic responsibilities with working outside the home in voluntary work, paid employment and education (ibid.). Within the Traveller movement in Ireland, Traveller women have played and continue to play a key leadership role in the ongoing development of Traveller rights organisations at local, regional, national and international levels. The struggle to assert the rights of the Traveller Community has often been led by women, as “the majority of development, advocacy workers and volunteer representatives within the Traveller community are women” (National Traveller Women’s Forum, 2013.: p. 5).
Two inspiring women advocates for the Traveller Community at TVG are Anne Burke and Breda O'Donoghue.
Anne Burke, a local Cork woman is a strong advocate on behalf of the Traveller community and co-founded TVG. Anne co-coordinates the Southern Traveller Health Network (STHN). The STHN is a Traveller-led network of Traveller women representatives of six Traveller community development projects in Cork and Kerry, which was established in 1998. The STHN’s primary objective is to build the capacity of Traveller women to enable them to take on leadership roles in their community. While the initial focus was health (including mental health), this evolved in the last five years to include education arising from a prioritisation process developed with the women.
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In 2020, the STHN supported 23 Traveller women completing a “life-changing” course in collaboration with Adult Continuing Education (ACE), supported by Access UCC, and funded by the SOAR Project. The Level 6 course on Leadership in the Community, was described by Anne at the graduation ceremony as life-changing for the women who took part. “It's just amazing to see the women here, their families, the excitement. What we're hoping to do is create a trend where Travellers feel safe to come to UCC."
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Breda O'Donoghue started working at TVG 28 years ago in the Community Employment Scheme. She became the Women's Education worker and is now Director of Advocacy. Breda is a strong advocate and activist on behalf of her community. She is drawn to addressing the social issues and social harms experienced by her community as well as other marginalised groups - issues such as women's rights, poverty, domestic violence, coercive control and rape. Breda says, "We support all organisations across the city who are addressing these issues".
The image below includes all three founders of TVG, Anne Burke, Chrissie O’Sullivan, and Helen Casey, with the then-President of Ireland, Mary Robinson, who served from 1990 to September 1997.
Image of all three founders of TVG - Anne Burke, Chrissie O’Sullivan, and Helen Casey, with the then-President of Ireland, Mary Robinson (copyright: Traveller Visibility Group)
Many other female trailblazer figures have emerged from the Traveller community, such
as the three women, we document below.
Dr Sindy Joyce is a Mincéir/Traveller from County Limerick. She is a Human Rights Defender (HRD), a lecturer in Traveller Studies at UL’s Department of Sociology, and a member of President Michael D Higgins's Council of State. Dr Sindy Joyce became the first Traveller in Ireland to graduate with a PhD after receiving her doctorate from the University of Limerick (Casey, 2019). Her PhD thesis, ‘Mincéirs Siúladh: An ethnographic study of young Travellers’ experiences of racism in an Irish city’, examined how young Travellers’ movements through access to and use of public spaces are shaped by their ethnicity and anti-Traveller racism (ibid.).
Dr. Hannagh McGinley is an Assistant Professor of Education at Mary Immaculate College. In addition to being an educator, she is also an activist. After completing her BA, Hannagh completed a HDip and then an MA in Community Development before working for a number of years as a Community Development worker and Traveller activist (see Tipperary Star, 2023 for more information on Hannagh’s life story). Hannagh also spent decades researching the experiences of marginalised groups in education, for which she was awarded an Irish Research Council scholarship in 2011 (ibid.).
Rosie McCarthy is a young Traveller girl from Macroom. Combining her Traveller heritage and love of singing, Rosie sings in the old sean-nós style, a rarity. Rosie has performed at the Triskel Arts Centre in Cork, the Misleor Festival in Galway, and the Drimoleague Singing Festival. She was also part of the award-winning film ‘Wheel of Dreams’ alongside filmmaker Toma McCullim and a group of Traveller girls from West Cork (O’Brien, 2023).
Acknowledgement: Many thanks as always to the Traveller Visibility Group, particularly Eileen O’Shea, Breda O'Donoghue, Anne Burke and Noreen Cash for the support with the project and who co-authored this text. Also a special thanks to Patricia McGrath, Cliona O’Carroll, Tomás Mac Conmara and James Furey of the Cork Folklore Project and the Circular Tales Project for their contributions.
Website: http://www.tvgcork.ie/
References
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