Folklore Fragments Podcast 36: The Travellers (with David Joyce and Áine Furey)

Irish Travellers, known in their own language as Mincéirs or Pavees and in Irish called ‘An Lucht Siúil or, ‘The Walking People’, are a nomadic ethnic minority in Ireland with a distinct history, culture and identity. Historically, Travellers were called Tinkers, a reference to their trade as tinsmiths, and they also made a living through engaging with the settled community; by buying and selling animals, or through seasonal farm labour.

They’ve also long been renowned as singers, musicians and storytellers who brought news, tales, songs and music from townland to townland, parish to parish and county to county as they travelled around Ireland. As a minority group however, Ireland’s Travellers they have long-faced discrimination on the basis of their ethnicity, and are often reported as the subject of explicit prejudice in Irish society.

For this episode of the podcast, I hope to enter into an exploration of Traveller culture and identity, and I’m honoured to be joined by David Joyce; an advocate for the Traveller community who has worked as both a barrister and a solicitor, and Áine Furey, a singer, musician, tour guide and alumna of the Department of Irish Folklore here at UCD.

I hope you’ll keep us company for the next hour or so as we come to know and honour the culture, traditions, perspectives and experiences of Ireland’s Travelling people, to whom this episode is dedicated.

For details concerning audio timecodes, see below:

08:20: Tom 'Bun' Connors in conversation with Seán Ó Súilleabháin, Cherry Orchard, Dublin (1967) listing some Travellers families and which parts of Ireland they're from.
14:20: Andy Cassidy, 'My Rifle, My Pony and Me' recorded by Alen McWeeney in Labre Park, Ballyfermot, Dublin (1967) My thanks to Alen, and to Pavee Point for permission to reproduce this wonderful recording! See more here: http://www.paveepoint.ie/wp-content/u...
27:35: Bridget Connors in conversation with Seán Ó Súilleabháin, Cherry Orchard, Dublin (1967) recounting the kindness of Kerry people, and the hostility with which she was met in other places in Ireland.
39:54: 'Bun' Connors recounting the tinsmithing trade as it was practiced in his family, and how it was undone by the arrival of cheap plastic goods.
42:07: John Reilly singing 'The Jolly Tinker'. Recorded by Tom Munnelly while John and his family were camped at Cloongrehan, Cootehall, County Roscommon (October 1971)
47:02: John Reilly singing 'False Lankum'. Recorded by Tom Munnelly while John and his family were camped at Cloongrehan, Cootehall, County Roscommon (October 1971) See here for more: https://digital.ucd.ie/view/ivrla:31077
50: 22: 'Bun' Connors relates his experience of travelling around Ireland, and demonstrating how well he knows the homeplace of Seán Ó Súilleabháin(from Kenmare, county Kerry) in particular.
53:55: Uileann Piper Johnny Doran playing 'Colonel Fraser, My Love Is in America, Rakish Paddy' recorded by the Irish Folklore Commission (1947)
56: 28: 'Bun' Connors relates his long standing friendship with Margaret Barry
1:00:55: 'Bun' and his mother Bridget Connors describe how Travellers used make a living from dealing animals, and gives account of the fairs they used visit.
1:04:10: 'Bun' Connors relates details of winter lodgings and the times of the year that Travellers used travel.
1:08:30: 'Bun' Connors recounts the ways in which the settled people would come and join them by the fire a few days after they had arrived into an area and set up camp. Describes the bonds and neighbourly feelings fostered over time.
1:23:39: Pádraig Mac Gréine recounts how he first met Traveller and storyteller Oney Power in county Longford in the 1930s.
1:29:40: 'Bun' and Bridget Connors give account of the context in which the Traveller language is used, providing examples of phrases and terminology.
1:39:38: Johnny Doran, playing Sliabh na mBan, a slow air, dedicated to the late Seán Garvey.

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