Exploring The Intriguing World Of Travellers

Irish Travellers, also known as Pavees or Mincéirs, are an indigenous ethno-cultural group from Ireland. They are predominantly English-speaking, but many also speak Shelta, a mix of English and Irish. They are predominantly Roman Catholic, the predominant religion in the Republic of Ireland. Irish Travellers are one of the oldest and most marginalised minority groups in Ireland, known for their itinerant lifestyle, distinct dialects and traditions. They are often the subject of explicit political and cultural discrimination, with politicians blocking Traveller housing in local communities and individuals refusing service in pubs, shops and hotels. Despite this, Irish Traveller communities can be found in Ireland, the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada.

Irish Traveller communities exist in Ireland, the UK, the US, and Canada

Irish Travellers, also known as Pavees or Mincéirs, are a traditionally peripatetic indigenous ethno-cultural group originating in Ireland. They are predominantly English-speaking, though many also speak Shelta, a language of mixed English and Irish origin. They are one of several groups identified as "Travellers" in the UK and Ireland.

Irish Traveller communities can be found in Ireland, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada. As of 2016, there were 32,302 Travellers in Ireland, representing 0.7% of the total population of the Republic of Ireland. The United Kingdom is believed to be home to up to 300,000 Travellers, including Romanichal.

In the United States, there are believed to be anywhere from 7,000 to 40,000 Irish Travellers, with most estimates closer to 10,000. These Travellers are descendants of groups who left Ireland during the Great Famine in the mid-19th century. They have settled in various parts of the country, including Texas, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Florida, with smaller settlements in rural New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. The largest known Irish Traveller community in the US is Murphy Village in South Carolina, with a population of approximately 1,500 people.

Irish Travellers in the US have maintained a similar lifestyle to their counterparts in Ireland, including speaking distinct dialects of Cant, Shelta, or Gammon. They identify as Roman Catholic and adhere to their own traditions. They also have a unique internal economy based on life insurance policies, which has brought them both wealth and negative media attention.

Irish Travellers face discrimination and prejudice in all the countries they inhabit. They are often marginalized and ostracized, with limited access to education, employment, and housing. Despite these challenges, they have preserved their distinct culture and way of life.

Irish Travellers are a predominantly English-speaking group, but many also speak Shelta

Irish Travellers, also known as Pavees or Mincéirs, are a traditionally peripatetic indigenous ethno-cultural group originating from Ireland. They are predominantly English-speaking, but many also speak Shelta, a language of mixed English and Irish origin. Shelta is also referred to as the Cant, de Gammon, or Tarri by its native speakers. The language is made up mostly of Irish lexicon, with an English-based grammar structure.

Shelta is a cryptolect, or secret language, that Irish Travellers do not like to share with outsiders, or "Buffers", as they are called. When speaking Shelta in front of non-Travellers, they will disguise the structure so that it does not seem like they are speaking Shelta. This is done out of fear that outsiders will use their language to further discriminate against the Traveller community.

The exact number of Shelta speakers is hard to determine due to sociolinguistic issues, but it is estimated that there are 30,000 speakers in the UK, 6,000 in Ireland, and 50,000 in the US. The language has been documented by linguists since at least the 1870s, and the first works on Shelta were published in the 1880s by Charles Leland.

Shelta is formed by applying four techniques to Irish words: reversal, metathesis, affixing, and substitution. For example, the Irish word "mac", meaning "son", becomes "kam" in Shelta. Consonants or consonant clusters are transposed, such as in "obair", which means "work or job" in Irish and becomes "gruber" in Shelta. Additionally, sounds or clusters of sounds are prefixed or suffixed to an Irish word; for instance, "obair" becomes "gruber" with the addition of "gr-". Lastly, many Shelta words are formed by substituting an arbitrary consonant or consonant cluster in an Irish word, such as "athair", which means "father" in Irish and becomes "gather" in Shelta.

Irish Travellers in the US also speak their own dialects of Shelta, which can include elements of Irish, Gaelic, English, Greek, and Hebrew.

Irish Travellers are not genetically related to the Romani people, despite often being called Gypsies

Irish Travellers, despite often being called Gypsies, are not genetically related to the Romani people. Irish Travellers are an indigenous ethno-cultural group from Ireland, who are predominantly English-speaking, though many also speak Shelta, a language of mixed English and Irish origin. They are predominantly Roman Catholic, the predominant religion in the Republic of Ireland. They are one of several groups identified as "Travellers" in the UK and Ireland.

Irish Travellers are often incorrectly referred to as "Gypsies", but genetic testing has shown no evidence of a recent ancestral link between Irish Travellers and Romani Travellers. Irish Travellers are of Irish extraction and likely diverged from the settled Irish population in the 1600s, possibly during the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland. Centuries of cultural isolation have resulted in genetic distinctness from the settled Irish.

Irish Travellers have a unique culture and heritage that sets them apart from Romani Gypsies. They have their own language, Shelta, and distinct traditions and customs. They have a strong sense of community and family bonds, with extended family gatherings for important life events. They also have a history of nomadism and self-employment, often working with metal and travelling throughout Ireland.

Romani Gypsies, on the other hand, originated from Northern India and migrated to Britain from continental Europe. They have their own distinct language, Romani, and a rich cultural heritage.

While both groups share a nomadic way of life and face similar challenges and disadvantages, they are distinct in their origins, language, and cultural practices. It is important to recognise these differences and respect the unique identities of each group.

Irish Travellers are known for their involvement in bare-knuckle boxing

The critically acclaimed documentary, "Knuckle", explores the history of bare-knuckle fighting in Irish Traveller culture. The film features footage of two men, Michael McDonagh and David Joyce, fighting to resolve a generations-long family feud. With substantial amounts of money and pride at stake, the fighters are joined by members of their families, who act as officials to ensure a clean and fair fight.

Another well-known fighter is Bartley Gorman, who was the Bareknuckle Champion of Great Britain and Ireland from 1972 to 1992. Gorman, who was enormously proud of his Traveller heritage, is remembered as a fierce fighter in the ring and a gentleman outside of it. He is said to have survived an attempt on his life by a mob at Doncaster Races, underscoring the serious nature of these disputes.

In more recent times, Davie Joyce and Michael Navin engaged in a 32-minute bare-knuckle fight in an abandoned car park in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, England. The fight, which was sparked by a YouTube spat between the two families, ended in a draw, with both men covered in blood.

While some view these fights as barbaric and brutal, others argue that they are conducted with honour and pride, following a code of conduct that prohibits certain actions like throws, eye gouging, and hair pulling.

Irish Traveller women are often promised to their future husbands in arranged marriages at a young age

In some cases, Traveller women may be forced to marry without their knowledge, only finding out about the arrangement on the day of the wedding. For example, Bridget Walls, a 26-year-old Irish Traveller woman, shared her experience of being forced into an arranged marriage on her 16th birthday, which she described as the "worst day of her life." Walls, who shared her story on TikTok, did not know about the arrangement until the morning of her wedding and was divorced by the age of 23.

While arranged marriages are common in the Traveller community, there are varying opinions on the practice. Some Traveller women may choose their own partners later in life, prioritizing education and career before marriage. Additionally, the practice of underage marriages has been criticized and is considered a violation of church rules and state law. However, local officials in some areas have waived the requirement for a court order for marriages involving minors to accommodate Traveller cultural practices.

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