Traveller Voices
Pride
Being a Traveller follows from the generations. It's in our backgrounds. I'm proud I'm a Traveller - you feel free. If a person says to me, "what are you?" I'll say I'm a Traveller. I don't think Travellers should die out - they should always be there. We've our own values and traditions - tinsmiths, markets and begging. They should be kept going. Traveller children can be reared with a language no one else can understand. Our kids are better off being Travellers because most of them don't go off to pubs and discos and marry settled people - they've more enjoyment and freedom and they see more - visiting off down the country.
Kathleen McDonagh
Identity
Being a Traveller is the feeling of belonging to a group of people. Knowing through thick or thin they are there for you, having the support of family systems. Having an identity.
Michael McDonagh
Travelling
I've done my life travelling and a
happier time I never had. It was the greatest in the world.
You had everything - comfort, life and pleasure, and something to always
do. You could get up in the morning in the tent and hear the
blackbird and thrush in the trees whistling. The good days are gone,
a mhic - at that time on the roads you were safe. There was no
blackguards then. I'm bet and not able to travel now. If I was
younger I wouldn't stop three minutes in this house. Since I come
into these houses I'm sick - I disgust these houses. Only four walls
and looking at nothing; only plenty of bad luck when you get up.
Here all you see is ashes and a bit of red sod and they're heartbroke
looking for money. The young people will be ashamed of being a
Traveller in the future, however, no matter what you put on them - if it
was silk you'd still know them. It's hard to burn wildness out of a
wild bird's nose - you'll tame them for a while, but they'll fly away
again.
My travelling days are over and when I die I'll be in with the most respectable in Ireland and I'll lie with them and we'll all be the same. Yet people don't want to lie beside each other in good health - I can't understand it. If you meet a right gentleman or lady they'll chat you right and give a good performance but when you meet the old yoke who has just gotten land he'll treat you bad.--Paddy McDonnell.
Freedom
Travelling - I was
all my life at it. I'd still rather be travelling around. I'm
always thinking of it. It was a better and a nicer time on the road
- more freedom along the roads. We'd be selling tinware, saucepans,
cans - country people knew us well at those times and were very
nice. Young Travellers are too lazy since they got houses.
Houses have them pure spoiled. I can't do the things today that I
could do on the road. I'd walk out the door this minute if I'd
anywhere to go.
Drawing the dole, you have to keep in a distance to it - dole is ruining the people.--Nan McDonagh
Faith
Travellers are very religious. I love a lot of blessed pictures and statues and plenty of holy water in the place. If I miss Mass it takes a lot out of me. Travellers believe a lot in priests and cures. We are very superstitious - marriages and black cats. We believe in ghosts - it gives us an idea that there's life after death. We wouldn't miss the patterns of the graves. --Kathleen McDonagh
Empowerment
Travellers must be seen as an ethnic minority. Travellers have a separate identity, a separate history and a separate culture. This must be taken into account in any work with Travellers. Like any oppressed people, Travellers want change. In order to change the situation they find themselves in they must get organised and struggle for justice . . . Travellers have become more involved in the issues that concern them. --Martin Collins
