Reminiscences: The real lives of Irish Travellers Summer of 2012 and I’m travelling in Ireland. One night in a bar, and I’ve now come to learn that many of the best tales start one night in an Irish bar, I’m nursing a pint of Guinness […]
All posts tagged: racism

“When they took him out of the lake he was already dead”
Reminiscences: The real lives of Irish Travellers The children of the Travelling community grow up constrained by strict social mores, they keep themselves to themselves and are shunned by the wider community. Often denied ecucation by the state, surrounded by inter-family fueding, alcoholism, domestic violence […]

“Mag O’Leary got a selfie with the Pope”
Reminiscences: The real lives of Irish Travellers Barney & Nancy foster five Traveller children from heroin addicted parents and have been active in Traveller community development for over 20 years. Barney: Before we got this house we saw a house up in Beechmont and the agent […]

“I’ve the luck of a black cat, but I’m not as vital as was, I had 9 strokes”
Reminiscences: The real lives of Irish Travellers Brian McDonagh, typically of the elder generation of Traveller struggled to come to terms with life in a house and fears for the future of a community challenged by drugs, alcohol, violence and a loss of faith. Brian: I’ve […]

“I face discrimination every day, because I’m a woman and a Travelling woman”
Reminiscences: The real lives of Irish Travellers Missie Collins and her daughter-in-law Tessa Collins both work at the Pavee Point Traveller & Roma center in Dublin, as primary healthcare workers and in the violence against women programme. Missie: No less than last week I […]

“Living in a house is lovely, I was reared in tents”
Reminiscences: The real lives of Irish Travellers John Mongan, travelled in and out of Ireland as a boy to seek work in the fields, building sites and slaughter houses of Scotland and then England, returning home to marry when still in his teens. John: […]