We welcome the publication of the first ever National Traveller Heritage Strategy by the Heritage Council, a historic step towards validating and preserving Traveller customs, music, stories, crafts, language and the nomadic tradition.
The Strategy acknowledges the significance of Traveller culture and the central place Travellers hold in Irish heritage. Traveller storytellers and musicians have long been recognised as custodians of Irish folklore and musical traditions while Traveller tinsmiths and craftspeople developed and sustained skills in making, mending and ‘upcycling’ that were vital to past generations. But this is only part of the story. The new Strategy aims for a much broader awareness of the richness of Traveller heritage and customs, securing Traveller visibility and inclusion in Ireland’s cultural memory.
Pavee Point. along with other national and local organisations, worked with the Heritage Council over a period of 3 years to develop the Strategy. Consultations with Travellers took place on a regional basis with focus groups with Traveller young people also carried out.
We look forward to working with the Heritage Council on the implementation of the new Strategy and building on the important work Traveller organisations are already doing to develop pride, respect and ownership in Traveller identity, ethnicity and culture.
Link to Heritage Council National Traveller Heritage Strategy – https://www.heritagecouncil.ie/content/files/Traveller-Strategy-Eng.pdf
Photo Caption – John Paul Collins, Pavee Point; Maureen Ward, Minceirs Whiden and Oein de Bharduin, National Museum of Ireland.