Irish Traveller Women

The aim of this volume is to provide an overview of§the life experience and culture of female Irish§Travellers in Ireland, with special consideration to§their experience in Northern Ireland. The Irish§Travelling community are an indigenous minority§group. Traditionally a nomadic community Travellers§have been marginalised and discriminated against with§new pluralistic initiatives at interculturalism§failing to moderate Irish society s perception of the§community. The author has made special note of the§traditional female Traveller economy, their§door-step-exchanges which have displayed an agency§and skill historically invalidated. Other aspects§considered include recent changes to Traveller§nomadism, anti-Traveller racism, health, education,§marriage and Traveller faith. Frequently the§Travelling community has been used in literature and§art as symbolic vehicles, this volume considers the§Irish and Colonial Constructs of Traveller Culture§focusing on fine artists such Northern painter Basil§Blackshaw and recent depictions of Travellers in §films.