Irish Travellers (Irish: Lucht siúlta) are an itinerant people of Irish origin living in Ireland, Great Britain and the United States. It is estimated that 25,000 Travellers live in Ireland, 15,000 in Great Britain and 7,000 in the United States [1]. They refer to themselves as "Pavees". For a time, Travellers were commonly referred to as the "Walking People" by English speakers in Ireland. In Irish, Travellers are called an Lucht siúil (literally "the people of walking"). Many non-Pavee people (or "Buffers", sometimes "Rooters") still use the terms Knackers, Pikeys or Tinkers [2] (derogatory, in this sense), from the Irish tincéirí, sg. tincéir or "tinsmith."
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Origins
The historical origins of Travellers as a group has been a subject of great dispute. Some argue that Irish Travellers are descended from another nomadic people called the Tarish. It was once widely believed that Travellers were descended from landowners who were made homeless in Oliver Cromwell's military campaign in Ireland and in the 1840s famine. However, their origins may be more complex and difficult to ascertain because through their history the Travellers have left no written records of their own. Furthermore, not all families of the Travellers date back to the same point in time; some adopted Traveller customs centuries ago while others did so in more modern times yet all claim ancient origins regardless of noted assumption of the habits and customs. [3] Dr. Sharon Gmelch, who has studied and written about the Travellers, states that the Ward Clan is acknowledged by other Travellers as one of the "oldest families on the road." Stating that their name is derived from Mac an Bhaird, or "Son of the Bard," she suggests that perhaps they took to the road as fugitives from British laws against their traditional, musical profession of singing songs and reciting poetry in the Irish language [4]. However, there are also many Irish people surnamed Ward who are not Travellers. Genetic studies indicate that the Roma of Eastern Europe are "isolates",[5] but that the Irish Travellers are similar to the rest of the Irish population, as was already indicated by surnames. By 2006 a considerable amount of genetic data had been gathered by Dr. David Croke of the RCSI, Dublin to identify and cure diseases that Travellers were considered to be prone to.[6] This suggests that Traveller ethnicity is a matter of culture and choice, and is not a matter of descent from ancestors unrelated to the rest of the Irish population.
Language and customs
Irish Travellers distinguish themselves from the settled communities of the countries in which they live by their own language and customs. The language is known as Shelta, and there are two dialects of this language, Gammon (or Gamin) and Cant. It has been dated back to the eighteenth century, but may be older than that.[7] Travellers are keen breeders of dogs such as greyhounds and lurchers. These were used for hunting rabbits for food, and racing them became a favourite hobby. They also have a longstanding interest in horses, and the main horse fair associated with them is still held every year at Ballinasloe. Informal boxing is a rare Traveller sport, but is not exclusive to them. Some bouts have recently been captured on video and DVD.[8]
Social issues
Travellers are said to frequently live without running water or electricity. Their itinerant lifestyle can sometimes result in apparent poor education, as the children cannot always get a consistent education because of moving around frequently. However, due to longstanding verbal and musical traditions associated with Traveller communities, there is widespread and advanced use of vocabulary and social skills.
Cultural suspicion and conflict
Irish Travellers are recognised in British law as an ethnic group[9]. The Republic of Ireland, however, does not recognise them as an ethnic group; rather, their legal status is that of a "social group"[10]. In Ireland and in Britain, Travellers are often referred to (offensively) as "gypsies", "diddycoy", tinker or knacker. These terms refer to services that were traditionally provided by the Travellers: tinkering (or tinsmithing) being the mending of tin ware such as pots and pans, and knackering being the acquisition of dead or old horses for slaughter. Irish Travellers are sometimes referred to as Gypsies in Ireland and in Britain (the term more accurately refers to the Roma people, represented in Britain by the Romanichal and Kale). The derogatory terms pikey and gyppo (derived from Gypsy) are also heard in Great Britain whilst the term creamer (rhyming slang of "cream cracker") is occasionally used in Ireland. The Traveller lifestyle has often produced friction with local communities, especially in urban areas. Friction between Traveller and local community are typically attributed to allegations of increased crime following Traveller arrival in an area. A recent report published in Ireland states that over half of Travellers do not live past the age of 39 years.
Disputes over land use
A complaint against Travellers in the United Kingdom is that of unauthorised Traveller sites being established on privately owned land or on council-owned land not designated for that purpose. Designated sites for Travellers' use are provided by the council, and funds are made available to local authorities for the construction of new sites, as well as the maintenance and extension of existing sites, under the Government's "Gypsy and Traveller Sites Grant". However, Travellers also frequently make use of other, non-authorised sites, including public "common land" and private plots including large fields. Travellers claim that there is an under-provision of authorised sites - the Gypsy Council estimates an under-provision amounts to insufficient sites for 3,500 people [11] - and that their use of non-authorised sites as an alternative is therefore unavoidable.
Planning issues in the UK
Recent criticism against Travellers in the UK centres on Travellers who have bought land, built amenities without planning permission, then fought eviction attempts by claiming it would be an abuse of human rights to remove them from their homes. The families applied for retrospective planning permission whilst they were living on their land. This received much media attention during the British 2005 General Election. The use of retrospective planning permission arose after the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, which Michael Howard brought through the Commons, started closing down many of the sites originally provided for the community. Howard advised that Travellers should buy their own land instead and assurances were made that they would be allowed to settle it, despite allegations that Travellers find it difficult to secure planning permission approval.
Criminal activities
Travellers are often accused of being involved in robbery, cons, violence and other delinquent behaviour. An 11 October 2002 Dateline NBC episode suggested that American Travelers habitually defraud their neighbours, demanding high prices for substandard day labour [12]. A consequent investigation by South Carolina law enforcement resulted in a single conviction for fraud and a handful of truancy violations. The Georgia Governor's Office of Consumer Affairs issued a press release on March 14, 2007 entitled "Irish Travelers Perpetuate a Tradition of Fraud." [13] Traveller advocates, along with the Commission for Racial Equality in the UK, counter that Travellers are a distinct ethnic group with an ancient history, and claim that there is no statistical evidence that Traveller presence raises or lowers the local crime rate. The struggle for equal rights for these transient people led to the passing of the Caravan Sites Act 1968 that for some time safeguarded their rights, lifestyle and culture in the UK. The Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, however, repealed part II of the 1968 act, removing the duty on local authorities in the UK to provide sites for Travellers and giving them the power to close down existing sites.
Irish Travellers in popular culture
Irish Travellers have been portrayed on numerous occasions in popular culture.
- The Riches is an ongoing FX television series starring Eddie Izzard and Minnie Driver as Wayne and Dahlia Malloy; the father and mother of a family of Irish Traveller con artists and thieves. The series revolves around their decision to steal the identities of a dead "Buffer" family and hide out in their lavish mansion in suburban Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
- In Season 2 of Star Trek: The Next Generation, in Episode 18, "Up the Long Ladder", which aired on May 22, 1989, the Enterprise encounters a society, the Bringloidis, (cf brionglóid: meaning dream in the Irish language), that was founded by humans who left Earth centuries earlier to found a colony. They appear to be descended from Irish Travellers, possessing their accented form of the English language and a culture that appears very similar.
- Season 2, Episode 21 of the NBC television show Law & Order: Criminal Intent titled "Graansha" focuses around the murder of a female probation officer who springs from a family of Irish Travellers.
- Into the West tells the story of two Traveller boys running away from their drab home in Dublin.
- In the Irish television soap opera The Riordans (1964-1979), many issues affecting the Traveller community were portrayed through the challenges faced by the Maher family.
- The film Snatch features Brad Pitt as a comically stereotyped "Pikey" who is also a bareknuckle boxing champion. In one humorous incident, his Traveller Clan defrauds the film's protagonists by selling them a caravan that falls apart the minute they try to tow it from the premises.
- The film Chocolat includes Johnny Depp as Roux, a leader of a group of Irish travellers.
- Traveller is another film, starring Bill Paxton, Mark Wahlberg, and Julianna Margulies.
- The rural Irish sitcom Killinaskully (2003 - present) features a Traveller character named Pa Connors, played by Pat Shortt.
- The 2004 movie Man About Dog features a group of Irish Traveller characters.
- The documentary, Southpaw: The Francis Barrett Story, won the Audience Prize at the 1999 New York Irish Film Festival. It followed Galway boxer Francis (Francie) Barrett for three years and showed Francie overcoming discrimination as he progressed up the amateur boxing ranks to eventually carry the Irish flag and box for Ireland at the age of 19 during the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. Francie turned professional in August 2000 and now fights at light welterweight, out of Wembley, London [14].
- A documentary-style drama release in 2005, Pavee Lackeen (Traveller Girl), depicted the life of a young Traveller girl, and featured non-actors in the lead roles. Its director and co-writer, Perry Ogden, won an IFTA Award in the category of Breakthrough Talent.
- During 2004's "Live at Vicar Street" recorded by newly reformed Irish folk act Planxty, Christy Moore mentions hearing Traveller John Reilly sing for the first time and calls it a "Life Changing" experience, going on to dedicate the song "As I Roved Out" to the memory of John Reilly.
See also
References
- ^ pid=2395&type=Contents&searchString=Travelers Traveller Health: A National Strategy 2002-2005
- ^ 286469.html «Tinker is not a derogatory word when used in the right sense. it originally comes from the old Irish name of tincéirí or tinsmiths which was honorably practised by the travelling people in years gone by.» (in Boards: What culture does this degrade?)
- ^ Sharon Gmelch, "Nan: The Life of an Irish Travelling Woman," page 14.
- ^ Sharon Gmlech, op. cit., pages 235-236.
- ^ Kalaydjiyeva et al. (2001).
- ^ Dr David Croke page at RCSI
- ^ Sharon Gmlech, op. cit., page 234.
- ^ Boxing URL
- ^ Commission for Racial Equality: Gypsies and Irish Travelers: The facts
- ^ ResourcePack2.html Irish Travelers Movement: Traveller Legal Resource Pack 2 - Traveller Culture
- ^ BBC News: Councils 'must find Gypsy sites'
- ^ Inside the world of Irish Travelers: Mother caught beating her child on a parking lot surveillance camera is member of mysterious group
- ^ l Georgia Governor's Office of Consumer Affairs: Irish Travelers Perpetuate a Tradition of Fraud
- ^ Imdb: Southpaw: The Francis Barrett Story
Laois Nationalist - 2007/12/06: Families evicted from halt site
Resources
- Nan: The Life of an Irish Travelling Woman (ISBN 0-88133-602-5), by Sharon Gmelch, 1991.
- The Irish Tinkers: The Urbanization of an Itinerant People (ISBN 0-88133- 158-9), by George Gmelch, 1997, 2nd ed. 1985.
- The Road to God Knows Where (ISBN 1-85390-314-0), by Sean Maher, Talbot Press, Dublin 1972, republished by Veritas 1998.
- Becoming Conspicuous: Irish Travelers, Society and the State 1922-70 (ISBN 1-904558- 61-5), by Aoife Bhreatnach, University College Dublin Press 2006
External links
- Traveller Heritage and Photo Site from Navan Travelers Workshops
- Irish Travelers' Movement
- Pavee Point Travelers Centre
- Bibliography of Irish Travelers sources - University of Liverpool
- Irish Medical Journal article "Traveller Health: A National Strategy 2002-2005"
- Francie Barrett boxing profile
- Official site for movie - Pavee Lackeen: The Traveller Girl
- The Travelers: Ireland's Ethnic Minority
- The site of the French office of study NBNS, specialized in the reception of the Travelers in France, country where the reception of the Travelers people is centred by law.
- Interview with local expert on Dale Farm
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