Irish Travellers

No, the Irish Travellers no longer use caravans like these, but at one time they did. Nowadays they prefer trailers or caravans as the Irish call them. I came into contact with this fascinating ethnic group when I worked for the Irish Health Service as a pediatric therapist. Because the Travellers are a fairly closed genetic group, they have a higher incidence of genetic disorders and their children often require special therapy services. My Irish colleagues told me that the Travellers originated as Irish displaced by the occupation of Ireland by Cromwell in the 17th century. However, no one really knows how they arose other than that they are not related to the Roma of Europe. The Travellers have a traditional culture with most people marrying young, women staying at home, and men providing the family income. Many Traveller children often leave school young or attend only sporadically. Their poor school attendance was a constant source of frustration for the teachers and school administrators I worked with. In my experience, almost all the men were self employed, engaging in a variety of jobs that some Irish regard as questionable. There was definitely some prejudice or dislike of the Travellers among the general population. The Irish government provides a wide variety of services and protection for the Travellers and this is also a cause for some resentment. Where we lived in the Midlands there was a large Traveller population and as the weather warmed we would often pass Traveller caravans on our evening walks. They have the legal right to park in places where they traditionally have camped.. This sometimes caused some grumbling among the local farmers who regard them as trespassers and annoyances. The Travellers are known for their involvement with anything to do with horses. Driving home we would often pass young Traveller boys on sulkies, driving their painted Irish Cobs. I felt lucky to get to know and interact with such an interesting people that maintain their traditional ways although with a nod to modern conveniences.