Telling the tales of Travellers’ journeys

President Higgins and his wife Sabina listening to a song by Bernard Lawrence from Castlebar outside the National Museum of Ireland – Country Life in Turlough.

Áine Ryan

WHEN Francis Barrett represented Ireland in the Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1996 he was not only the youngest member of the entire team, he was the first Traveller to ever represent Ireland in these global games. A former Connacht champion boxer from Galway, he was refused a drink in an Irish pub on his return.  
That is according to Rosa Meehan, the Curator of ‘Travellers’ Journey’, an exhibition opened by President Michael D Higgins in the National Museum of Ireland (NMI) – Country Life, last week.   
Born in Galway in 1977, Francis Barrett’s only option was to train in a shipping container but despite these limitations, he fought over 300 times as an amateur boxer and represented Ireland internationally. Now London-based, Francis generously donated his Olympic jacket to this evocative exhibition, which reveals the story of the rich legacy of Irish Traveller culture.
Among the many other significant objects on display are a model barrel-top wagon; a tie belonging to Martin Ward, Tuam’s first Traveller mayor; a tinsmith-made ‘Emigrant’s Teapot’; beady pockets traditionally worn by Traveller women; uilleann pipes made by the renowned musician Johnny Doran; and artworks by Leeane McDonagh.
As a longtime advocate of Travellers’ rights, President Michael D Higgins spoke passionately at the launch about how the core values of our country include a ‘commitment to treat all citizens equally, to enable the meaningful participation of all citizens, and to remove prejudices and practical obstacles to the realisation of everyone’s rights’.
He observed that many Travellers have ‘come through a difficult interface about understanding, tolerance and intolerance, ignorance and prejudice’. Continuing, he observed that ‘we have actually now come to a new plateau through the formal recognition of Travellers as an indigenous ethnic minority’, but, importantly, ‘we have to turn this into administrative realities’.
Our ‘complex citizenship’ must be acknowledged and accepted in real terms, he said.  
He thanked the Traveller community for keeping so much of their culture alive through their music and storytelling.
He reminded the large audience that when Traveller tinsmiths were ‘recycling buckets with holes in them’, they were ‘so far ahead of their time in a life of sufficiency instead of a life of waste’.
Earlier the president and his wife, Sabine, had been brought on a tour of the exhibition, which also explores Travellers’ lives through striking images and films. The themes addressed encapsulate their crafts and skills, home life and nomadism, faith, belief and language.

Important journey
Speaking to The Mayo News, curator Rosa Meehan said: “The journey in making this exhibition was important insofar as it was co-curated with Traveller groups from the west of Ireland.
“Even though we live side-by-side with Travellers, we often know little about them or meet them. During the making of the exhibition many of them told me how it is often so difficult to showcase the best of their culture.”
Ms Meehan also spoke of how timely this celebration of Traveller culture is ‘coming just over a year since the State’s acknowledgment of Traveller ethnicity’
“The exhibition celebrates the unique experiences of Ireland’s largest indigenous ethnic group and offers a space for Travellers and non-Travellers alike to explore the shared history, language and value system of Traveller culture, with a particular focus on Traveller life and traditions in the west of Ireland,” she said.
She added that the exhibition also endeavours to bring ‘increased visibility to the unique and positive contribution Traveller culture makes to the wider cultural heritage of Ireland’.
Speaking on behalf of the NMI, Director, Lynn Scarff said: “A key value of the NMI is diversity and accessibility and through our programming, we seek to emphasise and explore the richness of Irish life across cultures and ethnicities.
“In particular, we wish to thank our curatorial partners in the Traveller community who have worked collaboratively with our team to bring this important exhibition to life. We look forward to welcoming visitors to both the exhibition and events programme at Turlough Park to explore the richness of culture and tradition amongst the Traveller community and reflect on our shared history.”
Kathleen Ward, of co-curators the Western Regional Traveller Health Network, said:
“This is a very proud day to see ordinary Traveller life, and our cultures and traditions which have been passed down to us through the generations, represented here at the National Museum of Ireland.
“We hope this exhibition provides an opportunity for the whole community – not just the Traveller community – to engage with and celebrate this history. It took a long time for Travellers to be recognised as a distinct ethnic minority in Ireland, so we are playing catch up in many ways, but this is a huge step in the right direction in bringing about positive change in the visibility of Traveller culture and how it is viewed and appreciated.”

Beliefs
Camps were usually beside streams as it was believed evil could not cross running water.
It was always possible to find out who was pregnant at funerals because a pregnant woman would not enter a graveyard.

Memories
“I worked as a tin-smith. The stake I used belonged to my father. He got it in a swop. It must be 50 years old. It was made from a boat anchor.”
Martin Lawrence, Mayo

“Pockets were worn to hold important bits and pieces. They were decorated with embroidery and buttons. Women would swop buttons when we met. We sewed them onto our
pockets to remember each other until we met again. My mother made paper flowers from crepe paper around Christmas. She put the flowers on a holly branch and sold them from door to door.”
Mary, Mayo

“I lived in a wagon, with sleeping tents for the boys and girls. There was a shelter tent at the side for the wagon in winter. We boiled big pots of spuds, and maybe pots of cabbage and bacon, or half a pig’s head, crubeens and turnips. I didn’t feel the cold when I was young, but you pay for it when you get older.”
Nora Ward, Tuam

“We travelled every part of Mayo and down to Sligo. People didn’t mind where you stopped that time. There was great respect. You’d be working at the turf with them, picking spuds, and picking up the hay.”
Martin Lawrence, Mayo