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[21], Many different theories have been put forward to explain the origins of Ireland's itinerant population. [11] As of 2016, there are 32,302 Travellers within Ireland. [75], Apart from boxing, Irish Travellers, including women, are involved in sports such as football (soccer) and Gaelic handball.[76]. 2 0 obj
One finding was: that "public brawling fuelled by excessive drinking further added to settled people's fear of Travellers". [61] Other communities exist in Memphis, Tennessee, Hernando, Mississippi, and near White Settlement, Texas, where the families stay in their homes during the winter, and leave during the summer, while smaller enclaves can be found across Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi. The best fit was estimated at 360years ago, giving an approximate date in the 1650s. The birth rate for the Traveller community for the year 2005 was 33.32 per 1,000, possibly the highest birth rate recorded for any community in Europe. to enquire into the problem arising from the presence in the country of itinerants in considerable numbers; to examine the economic, educational, health and social problems inherent in their way of life; to provide opportunities for a better way of life for itinerants. In his 1993 documentary "Rules of the Road" German filmmaker Oliver Herbrich portrayed the Travellers in Ireland and the UK as a nomadic ethnic group forced to adapt to settled lifestyle. [53], In 2011, for the first time, the census category "Irish Traveller" was introduced as part of the broader Gypsy/Traveller section. They are predominantly English-speaking, though many also speak Shelta, a language of mixed English and Irish origin. The Georgia Travellers' camp is made up of about eight hundred families, the Mississippi Travellers, about three hundred families, and the Texas Travellers, under fifty families. They are too small a minority, i.e., 0.5 per cent, to survive in a meaningful manner without ongoing and supportive personal contact with their fellow citizens in the settled community. [22] They worked with metal and travelled throughout Ireland working at making items such as ornaments, jewellery, and horse harnesses to earn a living. Tv++)e}Y12o1*lb~TH=rubCvGBVWD9?Tq wkCPEPBm3xn~6x#Xcn|?V)Rh. [24][failed verification] There is also a theory that an indigenous, itinerant community of craftsmen are the ancestors of Travellers, and unlike the Celts, they never settled down. [67] The Irish Traveller Movement, a community advocacy group, promotes equal access to education for Traveller children. 97110). [60][34], Travellers have a distinctive approach to religion; the vast majority of them are practising Roman Catholics and they also pay particular attention to issues of healing. For the United Kingdom census classification, see, Migration to the United Kingdom from Europe. [23] One idea is of their being distantly related to a Celtic group that invaded Ireland. [12] They represent 0.7% of the total population of the Republic of Ireland. [110], The following are some of the Travellers' representative organisations formed since the 1960s:[112], Irish Travellers have been depicted, usually negatively but sometimes with some care and sympathy, in film, radio, print, and television. [25] Other speculations on their origin are that they were descended from those Irish who were made homeless during the Cromwellian conquest in the 1650s, or made homeless in either the 1741 or the 1840s famine, or due to eviction. Shows like The Riches (20072008), the American television series featuring Eddie Izzard and Minnie Driver, take a deeper look into the Traveller lifestyle. Four distinct genetic clusters were identified in the 2017 study, and these match social groupings within the community.[31]. [40](p40)[43], The Travelling People Review Body (19811983) advocated integration rather than assimilation,[43] with provision for serviced halting sites. [34], Jean-Pierre Ligeois[fr] writes that the Irish Traveller Gammon vocabulary is derived from pre-13th-century Gaelic idioms with ten per cent Indian origin Romani language vocabulary. [89]:63, Irish Travellers are recognised in British and Irish law as an ethnic group. [73] Tyson Fury is of Irish Traveller heritage and defeated long-reigning Wladimir Klitschko in 2015 to become the unified heavyweight world champion. 1993. [46], In May 2021, the Ombudsman for Children, Dr. Niall Muldoon, published a report that was highly critical of the standards of accommodation provided for Travellers, describing some accommodation issues as "deplorable". Every Euro invested in public health gives an average return of 14 euro to the economy. [96] While 10,653 Travellers were in the labour force, the vast majority, 8,541 (80.2%), were unemployed. <>/XObject<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageB/ImageC/ImageI] >>/Annots[ 32 0 R 33 0 R 34 0 R 36 0 R] /MediaBox[ 0 0 595.32 841.92] /Contents 4 0 R/Group<>/Tabs/S/StructParents 0>>
[48] This gap has dramatically reduced over time; in 1987 the Irish Traveller birth rate was at 5.3 children per woman compared to the general Irish population's 2.3, while in 2008 the Irish Traveller birth rate was at 2.9 children per woman compared to the general Irish population's 2.1. These are mostly women who wish their children to have a chance at a formal education. This can lead to injuries, notably "fight bite" where, when punching an opponent, a tooth may cut the hand and bacteria in the opponent's mouth may infect the wound. Let health flourish. Roma Health and Early Childhood Development Project Manager. Almost 1 in 8 Travellers (11.3%) stated that they were unable to work due to a disability, which was almost three times the rate of the general population (4.3%). The segregation of Traveller children from their settled peers led to worse outcomes in regards to undertaking state examinations, and levels of numeracy and literacy. "[90]:246, According to Christopher Griffin, sociology and anthropology lecturer at Edith Cowan University, arranged Irish Traveller marriages in the early-21st century "safeguard the girl's [interests] by securing a man who won't mistreat her. [9] Traveller rights groups long advocated for ethnic status from the Irish government, succeeding in 2017. Across the countries included in the report, data on life expectancy for Roma populations was available for 12 of 31 countries with estimates ranging from 7- 20 years shorter lives. Traveller, Nomadic and Migrant Education by Patrick Alan Danaher, Mirn Kenny, Judith Remy Leder. Many decrees against begging in England were directed at Travellers, passed by King EdwardVI around 1551; for example the "Acte for tynckers and pedlers". [26][24](pp43,56), According to Helleiner (2003),[18] current scholarship is investigating the background of Gaelic Ireland before the English Tudor conquest. PHONE LINES WILL NOT BE ACTIVE. Following the findings of the All Ireland Traveller Health Study (estimates for 2008), the figure for Northern Ireland was revised to 3,905 and that for the Republic to 36,224. As of 2016, 201 1519-year-old enumerated Irish Travellers identified themselves as married, down from 250 in 2011. A 2011 survey by the Economic and Social Research Institute of Ireland concluded that there is widespread ostracism of Travellers in Ireland, and the report concluded that it could hurt the long-term prospects for Travellers, who "need the intercultural solidarity of their neighbours in the settled community. Advice and Information for Gypsies and Travellers, 'The website of Cork Traveller Visibility Group Ltd', 'The Facebook page of Spring Lane Site Solidarity Group'. [84] As of the Census of Ireland 2016 58.1% of Irish Travellers were under the age of 25, with 31.9% of this age group married. by Marius Tudor | May 31, 2018 | Health Inequalities, Roma Health | Analysis and Opinion, By Marius Tudor, Roma Health Project Manager andMyriam Cheddadi, Policy Assistant. ", "A Social Portrait of Travellers in Ireland", "Irish Travellers - Socio-economic Aspects and Housing - CSO - Central Statistics Office", "Traveller wins discrimination case over school's 'father rule', "School wins appeal over exclusion of Traveller", "How Tyson Fury's words shine a light on Traveller faith", "Pugilism among Irish Travelers: cultural tradition and the fight bite injury", "50% of Travellers die before 39 - study", "Minister Harney Launches All-Ireland Traveller Health Study", "Life expectancy of Irish travellers still at 1940s levels despite economic boom", "50% of Travellers die before 39 per study", "Towards a sociological understanding of Irish Travellers: introducing a people", "Study urges genetic counselling for cousins who marry", "Sympathy Is Short-Lived for Irish Minority Group After Deadly Fire", "Young among the most prejudiced, expert finds", "Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2016", "Irish Travellers Aged 15 Years and Over 2011 to 2016 (Number) by County and City, Sex, Principal Economic Status and Census Year", "Press Statement Census 2016 Results Profile 8 - Irish Travellers, Ethnicity and Religion", "First 'new-look' regulated Smithfield Horse Fair on Sunday", "Gypsies and Irish Travellers: The facts", "Garda injured after riot squad called to Traveller pub battle", "Voices Unheard: Irish Travellers in Prison", "Dale Farm Travellers: 'We won't just get up and leave', "Racism in Ireland: Travellers Fighting Back", "Minceirs Whiden make a Submission to the Oireachtas Committee", Traveller Equality Project, Irish Chaplaincy in Britain, Traveller Heritage and Photo Site from Navan Travellers Workshops, Traveller and Roma Collection at the University of Limerick, The Travellers: Ireland's Ethnic Minority, London Gypsy and Travellers Unit, Representing Traveller's issues in North and East London, Friends, Families and Travellers. [40](p12) It recommended assimilation of Travellers by settling them in fixed dwellings with the ultimate aim being that of essentially ending Traveller identity,[41] viewing the Netherlands' approach to its travelling minority as a model. They are often incorrectly referred to as "Gypsies",[4] but Irish Travellers are not genetically related to the Romani, who are of Indo-Aryan origin. They experience discrimination in not having equal access to education, being denied service in pubs, shops, and hotels,[36] and being subject to derogatory language. [68] In the Census of Ireland 2016, 167 Travellers are enumerated as having a third level educational qualification, a rise from 89 in 2011. [84]:110111[87]:156[a] According to Judith Okely's work on Travellers in Britain in the 1970s, "there is no large time span between puberty and marriage", and the typical marriage age was 1617 for females and 1819 for males. At the very least, we need to acknowledge the Roma contribution to the future of Europe, to its social and economic development. "though many of them crossed the Atlantic in centuries past to play their trade". [4] Religiously, the majority of Irish Travellers are Roman Catholic, the predominant religion in the Republic of Ireland. 18941013532-08, PRESS INQUIRIES: The commission had no Traveller representatives, and while attempts were made to consult Travellers, these were "bizarre" unannounced visits which resulted in little input into the report.
[95], According to the 2016 Irish census, 4,524 of 9,055 Travellers over the age of 15 (50%) were "Unemployed having lost or given up previous job". In theory, Roma people have the same citizenship rights in Europe and many programmes have been developed, aimed at improving their situation. [94] Because Travellers are a minority group within Ireland and the United Kingdom, they have always faced discrimination on the basis of their ethnicity as Travellers. High infant mortality among Roma was also observed in Italy, however the data may be outdated. [27], Genetic evidence reported in 2000 regarding Irish Travellers supported Irish ancestry; several distinct subpopulations; and the distinctiveness of the midland counties due to Viking influence. "[90]:247 According to Julie Bindel, in Standpoint, some Irish Traveller females in the UK are forced into marriages, but Bindel points out that data is difficult to obtain because "the line between an arranged marriage and a forced one is not always clear.
[47], Irish Travellers have a higher fertility rate than the general Irish population; the Central Statistics Office of Ireland recorded in 2016 that 44.5% of Traveller women aged 4049 had 5 or more children, compared to 4.2% of women overall in this age group. In 1959 the 19591963 government of Ireland established a "Commission on Itinerancy"[40] in response to calls to deal with the "itinerant problem". Some 10% of Traveller children die before their second birthday, compared to just 1% of the general population. 2009, p. 119, "Divided society: ethnic minorities and racism in Northern Ireland" (, (formerly the National Association of Travellers' Centres), (About carrier testing to determine the risks of genetic disorders in Irish Traveller cousin marriages), (A community development organisation which works to support Travellers in their day to day lives so they can participate in Irish society as equals. %PDF-1.5
A 1997 American film, Traveller, starring Bill Paxton and Mark Wahlberg, also explored the Travellers in America. As a result, they (along with other itinerant groups) were referred to as "tinkler", "tynkere", or "tinkers" (all meaning "tin smith"); in later years, these terms were considered derogatory. For example, in Slovakia the biggest gap in life expectancy is present in segregated and secluded areas of Roma settlements with poor living conditions. An estimated time of divergence between the settled population and Travellers was set at a minimum of 8generations ago, with generations at 30years, hence 240years and a maximum of 14generations or 420years ago. They are one of several groups identified as "Travellers", a closely related group being the Scottish Travellers. Furthermore "feuding was felt to be the result of a dearth of pastimes and [of] illiteracy, historically comparable to features of rural Irish life before the Famine. [7][8] Genetic analysis has shown Travellers to be of Irish extraction, and that they likely diverged from the settled Irish population in the 1600s, likely during the time of the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland. From the 2006 Irish census it was determined that 20,975 dwell in urban areas and 1,460 were living in rural areas. [59] However, there are no official population figures regarding Irish Travellers in the United States as the US census does not recognise them as an ethnic group. [42], At the time, about 60% of Irish Travellers lived in barrel-roofed horse-drawn wagons, with almost 40% still using tents in summer (fewer in winter). The study provided evidence that Irish Travellers are a genetically distinct Irish ethnic minority which has been distinct from the settled Irish community for at least 1,000years: The report claimed that Travellers are as distinct from the settled community as Icelanders are from Norwegians. The birth rate of Irish Travellers has decreased since the 1990s, but they still have one of the highest birth rates in Europe. To detect their financial status many look to the state of the possessions: their trailer, motor vehicle, domestic utensils, and any other valuables. In addition to those on various official sites there are a number who are settled in local authority housing. [50] In 2006 the number was 22,369. Rue de Trves 49-51, The main fairs associated with them are held annually at Ballinasloe (County Galway), Puck Fair (County Kerry), Ballabuidhe Horse Fair (County Cork), the twice yearly Smithfield Horse Fair (Dublin inner city) and Appleby (England). There were found to be 9,301 Travellers in the 014 age range, comprising 41.5% of the Traveller population, and a further 3,406 of them were in the 1524 age range, comprising 15.2%. [13] There are different estimates about the size of the total population of people with Traveller ancestry, because many people of Traveller descent do not declare themselves Travellers. In the United Kingdom, families in travelling Roma populations are five times more at risk of experiencing premature infant mortality than settled communities. [98] They are often involved in dealing scrap metals, e.g., 60% of the raw material for Irish steel is sourced from scrap metal, approximately 50% (75,000 metric tonnes) segregated by the community at a value of more than 1.5million.
With an overall population of just 0.5% some areas were found to have a higher proportion, with high Traveller concentrations in Clare, Dublin, Galway and Limerick. Still, according to Margareta Matache, a Roma rights activist and Instructor at Harvard University, this gap between the Roma and non-Roma population in terms of access to health services, early education and care, and life expectancy has not closed in the last 25 years. [citation needed], Irish Travellers are not an entirely homogeneous group, instead reflecting some of the variation also seen in the settled population. [18] An early example of this mobile element in the population, and how displacement of clans can lead to increased nomadism within aristocratic warrior societies, is the displacement of the Clan Murtough O'Connors after the Norman invasion. "[91], Travellers are often reported as the subject of explicit political and cultural discrimination, with politicians being elected on promises to block Traveller housing in local communities and individuals frequently refused service in pubs, shops and hotels.[92]. [16], There are numerous theories and oral histories surrounding the origins of Irish Travellers as a distinct group. Sign up here to receive our updates on European health policy and invitations to our events. ), (A group of professionals and community activists whose aim is to highlight the humanitarian crisis on Spring Lane halting site & advocate for change), predominant religion in the Republic of Ireland, Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety, Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, List of Irish Traveller-related depictions and documentaries, "A Brief History of the Insitutionalisation of Discrimination Against Irish Travellers", "Study on ancestry of Irish Travellers details genetic connection to settled community", "Genomic insights into the population structure and history of the Irish Travellers", "Taoiseach formally recognises ethnic status", "Irish Travellers - Demographics - CSO - Central Statistics Office", Tackling inequalities faced by Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities Contents, "Tullamore Journal; Travelers' Tale: Irish Nomads Make Little Headway", "Travellers and communal identity: Memory, trauma, and the trope of cultural disappearance", "International law and the ethnicity of Irish Travellers", "The origins of the Irish travellers and the genetic structure of Ireland", "DNA study: Travellers a distinct ethnicity", "Travellers as 'genetically different' from settled Irish as Spanish", "Genetic basis of transferase-deficient galactosaemia in Ireland and the population history of the Irish Travellers", ITM Review of the 1963 Commission on Itinerancy, The making of the Irish Traveller Community: Mobility discourse, settlement policies and the Irish state 1950-2010, Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community, "Census of Population 2016 Profile 8 Irish Travellers, Ethnicity and Religion", All Ireland Traveller Health Study - The Birth Cohort Study, "2011 Census: Ethnic group1, local authorities in the United Kingdom", "Traveller Health: A National Strategy 20022005", "Every Gypsy and Traveller caravan site in England mapped and listed", "Who are the Irish Travellers in the United States? The study, including a detailed census of Traveller population and an examination of their health status, was expected to take up to three years to complete. 1 0 obj Indeed, for many years, published information has persistently shown the Roma population has a markedly lower life expectancy than the general population. Female Travellers have especially high mortality compared to settled women. [72] Irish Traveller Francie Barrett represented Ireland at the 1996 Olympics, while Andy Lee fought for Ireland at the 2004 Olympics and later became the first Traveller to win a professional boxing world championship when he won the WBO middleweight title in 2014. [109] The Travellers claim that there is an under-provision of authorised sites. if we can ensure they can have equal access to quality services, including health and early childhood development, just imagine the positive difference that this investment could make: not only improving their lives but enabling them to make a fuller contribution to the future of Europe. Irish Travellers do not like to share the language with outsiders, named "Buffers", or non-Travellers. Irish Travellers (Irish: na lucht siil, meaning "the walking people"), also known as Pavees or Mincirs[2] (Shelta: Mincir),[3] are a traditionally peripatetic ethno-cultural group originating in Ireland.[4][5][6]. stream <> [71], Irish Travellers have a long history of bare-knuckle boxing. Denying some 6 million Roma EU citizens fair conditions and access for the best possible health is not only a matter of social justice, but a question of how Europe manages its most important resource its people. Genetic studies by Miriam Murphy, David Croke, and other researchers identified certain genetic diseases such as galactosemia that are more common in the Irish Traveller population, involving identifiable allelic mutations that are rarer among the rest of the community.
[36] Gaelic language expert Kuno Meyer and Romani language linguist John Sampson both asserted that Shelta existed as far back as the 13th century, 300 years before the first Romani populations arrived in Ireland or Britain. endobj The United Kingdom alone is believed to be home to up to 300,000 Traveller people. A famous example was the occupation of Dale Farm in Essex in 2010. Toughness and the ability to fight are viewed as particularly important among Traveller men, and their involvement in boxing has extended to traditional amateur and professional boxing. Comparatively higher rates of infant mortality among Roma have been observed in Bulgaria, Slovakia, Hungary, and in the Czech Republic.