Galway Advertiser 1990/1990_03_22/GA_22031990_E1_010.pdf 

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WOMEN ON THE OUTSIDE--WEEK 1
A n e w course for w o m e n travellers has opened u p n e w doors f o r t h e o v e r 25's at H i l l s i d e a n d f o s t e r e d a c o m m u n i t y s p i r i t reland's travelling people m a k e u p a small, yet highly stigmatized g r o u p , set apart f r o m the rest of society f o r generations b y a nomadic lifestyle a n d a different culture. I n t h e l a t e 1950s a n d 1960s, t r a v e l l e r s b e g a n migrating to u r b a n areas. T h e sudden a p p e a r a n c e i n t h e late 1950s of t r a v e l l e r s c a m p e d i n w a g o n s a n d tents o n t h e r o a d s i d e s a n a i n d e r e l i c t lots i n cities a n d p r o v i n c i a l t o w n s a l a r m e d u r b a n residents w h o c o m p l a i n e d about the unsightliness a n d potential h e a l t h h a z a r d of the c a m p s , the d a n g e r f r o m w a n d e r i n g horses a n d the nuisance of the frequent requests they received for handouts. B y 1960 p u b l i c c o m p l a i n t s h a d g r o w n to s u c h a n extent that g o v e r n m e n t health inspectors met in D u b l i n to consider m a k i n g roadside c a m p i n g illegal. Instead they s u b m i t t e d a for m a l r e q u e s t to t h e g o v e r n m e n t t o a p p o i n t a c o m m i s s i o n to investigate the p r o b l e m s c r e a t e d b y t r a v e l l e r s a n d to p r o p o s e s o l u t i o n s . T h e Commission on Itinerancy w a s formed a n d t h r e e y e a r s l a t e r , its r e p o r t w a s p u b l i s h e d , focusing attention on w h a t then b e c a m e k n o w n as I r e l a n d ' s ' i t i n e r a n t p r o b l e m " . R e p o r t s a n d studies o l I r i s h t r a v e l l e r s f o l l o w e d . N a n J o y c e , one o f t h e best k n o w n t r a v e l l e r s w r o t e h e r l i f e s t o r y i n 1985. S h e p a i n t e d a v i v i d w o r d picture of life o n the roadside.
telks

a m o n g the w o m e n . M a r y O ' Connor reports o n the course a n d founder, B r e d a L y m e r .
t o l t s

I

Course instructors H i l l s i d e

a d m i n i s t r a t o r Pat Community Anderson,

Breda Nuala

Lymer D i l l o n w i t h some

(second and of Kati the

f r o m women on

r i g h t ) in the

w i t h the course.

D i l l o n , pictured

Vulnerable Sectors

T

ravellers h a v e been described as one of the most vulnerable sectors of the c o m m u n i t y prejudiced f o r being travellers. County G a l w a y has the highest traveller population of any county in the country except Dublin according to a special census of travellers carried out in 1986. It found there are o v e r 600 living in the county in road side camps o r i m p r o v e d halting sites. T h e picture which emerges f r o m the s u r v e y is of a group w h o have a v e r y high mortality rate and who m a r r y at a v e r y young age and have large families. F e m a l e travellers h a v e especially high mortality rates compared to settled w o m e n according to the report. Many of today's children will not see their 50th bir thday. Because of their nomadic w a y of life, they are feared b y m a n y and rejected b y others. H o w e v e r , those w h o w o r k with the travellers are slow to say a bad w o r d about them. Because they are constantly on the m o v e , it is i m possible for most travellers to acquire even basic literacy skills. Sickness and bad health is c o m m o n . Many travellers end u p i n London believing the a n o n y m i t y of the big city will lessen their chances of being singled out for prejudice.

cared a d a m n about them and there w a s no point in ranting and r a v i n g . "I had taught for five y e a r s at a F a s " Return to W o r k " course for w o m e n and I decided to tap into the experience I h a d g a i n e d . " Breda approached F a s and her idea was greeted with open a r m s b y E x t e r n a l T r a i n i n g Manager, A n n Mc G o v e r n . F a s agreed to fund the course which is open only to m a r r i e d w o m e n and is run over 35 weeks at Hillside. Subjects include literacy, d r a m a , music, home management, crafts a n d personal development. T h e 15 w o m e n on the course range in age f r o m 25-55 years. Some h a v e h a d a little formal schooling, others never set foot inside a classroom. " W e a r e not imposing o u r standards on the travellers, "explains Breda L y m e r . " T h e r e is a good mutual respect between us. W e are on a fairly equal footing. W e a r e just a bunch of w o m e n working together, sharing our skills. W e want to give the travellers the tools to take control of their l i v e s . "

GIVING TRAVELLERS A POWERFUL VOICE!

Centre

Meeting Needs
reda L y m e r first became involved w i t h the local travellers at Hillside through a weekly m^mHealth Education p r o g r a m m e . A mother of two f r o m L i m e r i c k w h o now lives in G a l w a y , Breda felt the needs of w o m e n travellers w e r e not being met. "I got together with Sr. Rose and Sr. Mary who live in Hillside and we talked about what kind of course w e could develop for o v e r 25's. W e felt they w e r e not being catered for. Those w o m e n felt v e r y neglected. T h e y believed they could do nothing, that no one

Waiting List

T

he course is stage one of a three tier progr a m m e . It w i l l end in M a y but there is already a waiting list for the next course. " W e can't w a l k - a w a y f r o m it n o w , " insists M s . L y m e r . " T h o s e w o m e n have got a taste for learning. T h e course has opened up new doors for t h e m . "

She says the changes in the w o m e n a r e v e r y ap parent. " T h e i r self-confidence has blossomed - even the quieter ones. Y o u don't have to drag information f r o m them, they a r e all willing to talk. "Learning to read and write has opened up a whole new w o r l d for them. T h e pride and sense of achieve ment of being able to write their o w n names after signing a n X on f o r m s for y e a r s is tremendous." T h e seven tutors are v e r y conscious of the travellers o w n culture and say they want to tap into the richness of their past, not impose the middle class standards of the settled c o m m u n i t y on them. Breda L y m e r says as w o m e n we are all going down the same road together." W e a r e not v e r y different f r o m the travellers. O u r lives are v e r y m u c h caught up with children, husbands and the home. Travellers suffer the same grief as w e do w h e n they lose a baby. W e are mothers trying to put dinners on the table and get children ready for school. T h e pressures m a y be different but w e a r e travelling the same road together." She w o u l d like to see travellers develop a leader ship role in the community. " W e h a v e almost created a dependance between them and us. W e tell them what's best for them. It's a long w a y down the road but I w o u l d l o v e to see them running their o w n courses. W e are trying to empower them to run their o w n lives, to take responsibility to share their skills w i t h the people in their o w n c o m m u n i t y . I'd love to see people like m e not needed a n y m o r e . "

THE

TRAVELLER'S

WORLD