Belfasts Travelling community

Tuesday 28 August 07

Whats the first thing that comes to mind when you think about travellers? The modern world has so many misconceptions about travellers but what Northern Ireland needs to realise is that they are a legitimite ethnic group. Did you know?

• There are on estimate 1’700 travellers living in Northern Ireland, but only 20-25% still travel and a massive 42% living in social housing rather than caravans.

• Travellers have to be born into a traveller group by two traveller parents, it’s not a decision to become one.

• The Traveller language in Ireland is older than Gaelic.

• Adult life expectancy for a traveller is 11 to 15 years below that of people in settled communities, with only 5% living to the age of 50 and only 1% living to 65 years old.

This is due to the lack of access to health services provided for travellers. Northern Ireland’s population is growing with the new addition of a variety of ethnic groups; access to health services are provided for groups such as Chinese, Polish, German, etc. so why aren’t they being provided for a group that’s been established in Northern Ireland for more than 4 decades? In April 2005 there was a merger of two traveller organisations, Belfast Travellers Support Group and Belfast Travellers Education Development Group. Which came together to form ‘An Munia Tober’. Their aim is to fight for equality, better health services, more educational facilities and recognition that travellers are an ethnic group. An Munia Tober, provides a variety of services for the traveller community, courses, community health programs, Gayla Expression Arts and many other opportunities, with many more to be provided as the program has just received more funding for young people focused projects. To find out more about the traveller support group An Munia Tober, visit the media room and check out the hotseat on Mark Donahue, Equality Officer for An Munia Tober. or Visit the official website by clicking HERE