The real Irish?

Question

i put a question out are the real irish the traveling people,and i made a mess the way it was put.i realy want to know about irish traveler history,how long have they been in ireland,i mentioned, two names dont know how they are spelled,macmorrow,bosswell.macmorrow is an old irish name ?i just like to know from any bits of info on the old travelers,cheers

Answer 1

Knacker is not a valid term for Travellers, knacker is an offensive word and is only used with malice.  I am a member of the Travelling Community and I, like all the other Travelling people prefer to be called Travellers, not knacker, not itinerant, not minks. Not all travellers are what they are perceived to be.  In my opinion it is the media who target some incidences and spread it all over causing a "branding" effect on all members.  Yes there are bad members of this community but isn't that the case in every community, don't brand one family for an others mistake.

Answer 2

I don't really know the history of the travelling people in Ireland, but these days they are less villified as a people as they used to be

they are still seen as a minority group by many people and even though many families are now settled, it is a shame that they are still stigmatised even though many go to college and third level education

here is a link from the society which strives to change things for travelling communities in Ireland and create awareness

http://www.paveepoint.ie/

Answer 3

They are a part of that rather diverse picture yes but just a part

have you looked here

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Trave...

And I am getting tired of Ignorant people pulling me up for using the term Knacker it is a valid term for travellers in Ireland it describes what they use to do..Knackering old or dead horses and tinker for their tinsmithing On the other hand Gyppo or gypsy is a real insult because Irish travellers are not gypsies.....thanx

Answer 4

I have to agree that I've only ever heard the term "knacker" used in a negative way.  Even if it is originally derived from a valid term, that does NOT mean it is okay to use it.  Think about the fact that the most offensive term used for black people originally comes from the Latin word for black.  No one could possibly make a convincing case that it is therefore okay to use it!

That said, I think the term "real Irish" for traveling people comes from the story that the travelers are the only non-Protestant people who did not leave Ireland during the famine, though that very well may be pure myth, I don't know, I've just heard older people in the West tell that story.

As far as learning about the history of travelers, I would try to hunt down the book _Puck of the Droms_, by Artelia Court.  I've never read it, but it's supposed to be an excellent collection of "folktales, other oral literature and biography" of the travelers.  Or _Travelling people_, by Victor E. H. Bewley (although it was written in the 1970s, and I can't vouch for how respectfully the people are treated.

By the way, the word "gypsy" is in itself a derogatory word used to describe the Roma people.  It's not acceptable to call anyone a gypsy.