Galway Advertiser 1990/1990_03_29/GA_29031990_E1_010.pdf 

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W O M E N

O N T H E O U T S I D E -- W E E K

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A new course for women travellers has opened up new doors for the over 25's at Hillside. It has given them a taste for lear ning and a voice in the community. In their writings, published below, they reveal why they like living in Galway and the problems they en counter.

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travelled around with my husband for a while before I had any family. We visited a lot of towns and enjoyed it. I have been coming to Galway for the past six years. My husband is a native of Galway. He moved around when he was a child before his family settled down in a house in Galway city. A lot of things go on in Galway. It's a very busy city especially in the summer. There are a lot of beaches and the streets are always busy. I would not like to leave Galway unless we went travell ing for the summer. I would not live in a trailer now. We live in a house, it's best for the children. I have one who will be starting primary school in September. I've been to a lot of towns and cities but there is something about Galway I like. I find the peo ple very nice. Caroline S w e e n e y

live in Hillside Park. There are 24 houses here. Every Monday there is a club for men, every Tuesday a club for single women and every Wednesday for married women. We learn different things at our course like cookery and literacy. Some are able to read and others are not. They are able to do a good bit now. It's nice to get a break from the children. At least we are getting a chance now. I'm glad I started the course. We meet people we did not know before and we are learning now for instance see ing how travellers are treated. Theresa cieary

JOSEPHINE

WILSON

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am from the Isle of Wight but I live in Galway now. I find the people very nice. When I am stuck for money or food I visit, houses in Galway. The people are very good to me, they would not turn me away from the door without giving me something. Sometimes they do bring me into their house and give me tea or coffee. At Christmas, some people give me a box of food or some money to buy myself something nice. They would also tell me not to forget and come back after Christmas. Then I would get turkey, chicken, chocolates and ham. If I did not go to the houses for a few weeks, they would ask me where I was and was I sick. If I said I was sick they would ask if I was better now and I would tell them that I am very well (T.G.) Sometimes I do get a lot of childrens' clothes and I give them to my friend Margaret as she has got ten children. When I get clothes for myelf, I wear them the next week to show the people that I did keep them and not throw them away like others do. J o s e p h i n e Wilson

TERESA CLEARY

CAROLINE SWEENEY

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am a married woman living in Galway. I have recently moved to one of the halting sites in the city. There are three halting sites here. The fourth one is situated on the Curraghline Road which is beside the dump. I think it is cruel in this day and age that travellers should be moved out beside the dump where the dirt and smell will be on top of them. They are humans but they are be ing treated like animals. Rats are running under their caravans, pro bably running inside as well. How are they going to get rid of rats where there is a dump? I think there should be more sites built within the city where travellers will be recognised as people, not animals. A n g e l a Mc D o n a g h

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am one of fifteen women on the course. We dc cookery, literacy, drama, poetry, and sewing. Eileen is the cookery teacher. She was here on Monday and did all sorts of different dishes rang ing from casseroles and pizzas to baking. Then on Tuesday we had literacy, Nuala and Pat are the teachers. It is really great because some of the women are learning how to read and write which is very worthwhile. Then on a Wednesday half of us did poetry and half did sewing. We made childrens' clothes and made lots of things from crochet. The poetry was enjoyable too. A n g e l a Mc D o n a g h

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t is terrible the way people talk about the travell ers who live in Hillside. It's not fair. We are people too. There is a report going around that people here are suffering from AIDS and T.B. There was a letter put on the wall of the workers's office telling them not to enter the doors of people in Hillside because they might get T.B. The workers was asked where did the letter come from. They said it came from the Cor poration. The Corporation was asked and they did not know. If our toilets, doors or ranges are broken we go to the office to report it. They say we're not going in, why? Because we were told not to. It is not fair how we are being treated. If we go to the Corpora tion for a transfer, they will not listen to us. Please give us a chance. T h e r e s a Cieary