Castlebar girl honoured at Traveller Pride Awards

Castlebar TY student is honoured at Traveller Pride Awards


Áine Ryan
aineryan@mayonews.ie

MAYO native Mary Maughan was last week a recipient of the Traveller Pride Award in Youth for her outstanding contribution to community at local and national level as a young Traveller. 
A Transition Year student at Davitt College, Castlebar, the 16-year-old Youth category winner was described as ‘an active citizen engaged in all kinds of school, community and social initiatives’. The fourth Traveller Pride Awards were held in the Pillar Room at the Rotunda Hospital, Dublin.
Speaking at the ceremony, Mary Maughan said: “It means so much to me, even to be nominated was a great honour, it means a lot to me to think that people notice some of the things I do as a young Traveller in the community, and I really appreciate the recognition, thank you.”
The awards honour the achievements and contributions Travellers make to their own communities and to the broader Irish society.
Other winners included the captain of the All Ireland under-17 women’s soccer team, two of Ireland’s last remaining Travellers tinsmiths, the Voice of Ireland runner up Kelly McDonagh Mongan, Traveller women entrepreneurs, a long time Traveller activist and an inspiring drugs worker. 
Co-Ordinated by the Irish Traveller Movement, the awards are jointly supported by seven Traveller organisations. Olympian boxing champions Katie Taylor and John Joe Nevin presided at this year’s awards.
Mr Nevin presented Tom McDonnell with the overall award citing his ‘indelible contribution to Ireland’s cultural heritage through tinsmith craft’.  
“I am proud to receive this award and for Traveller culture to be recognised in this way. I learned the art of tin-smithing from my father and he from his father before him. I am passionate about passing that skill to the next generation of younger people who may regard the craft as “a thing of the past” to ensure our unique cultural tradition is not lost,” said Tom McDonnell.
Established in 1990, The Irish Traveller Movement is a national network of over 80 organisations and individuals committed to seeking full equality for Travellers in Irish society.