By Miriam Kerins Gardaí have commenced what is their third phase of Operation Faoiseamh, an initiative which seeks to protect those affected by domestic violence; insisting the vulnerable will receive the “highest priority response” from the force. Under this new phase, Gardaí will be reaching out to those who sought help in the past and…
Vox Pop Submitted by John Madden Challenging times call for creative solutions, and while we’re all aware that the schools are shut and are very limited in what they can do effectively, youth work across Ireland is also having to adapt. There’s a saying out there, “youth work works” and it does. It has made vast differences in so…
Submitted by John Madden In the midst of all the Covid-19 news, we saw a changing of the guard in Seanad Eireann. Over the month of March, the elections took place for 49 of the seats for the upper house of the Irish Government, and with elections comes the time to say goodbye to some…
Autism: Your child received a diagnosis…don’t despair! By Rosemarie Maughan When you finally get the diagnosis your child is autistic don’t despair; being autistic is not a tragedy, but a neurological difference which is to be understood and embraced. It’s going to be ok. The best thing you can do now for your child is…
Owen Ward, the first Traveller to be elected to NUI Galway’s Governing Body gives us all a lesson in unflinching determination! By Miriam Kerins Owen Ward is a proud Irish Traveller man who left school at the age of 16 without having the benefit of either a Junior or a Leaving Certificate. However, rather than…
By Rosaleen McDonagh Culture, gender, history, tradition; identity, sexism, ableism, homophobia and racism are all complex issues, and conversations need to be had around them; particularly when dealing with a world pandemic. Jurisdictions, the denigration and disregard for certain members of society in the context of public health care and access to health information…
UK has BREXited – What does this mean for Irish Travellers? By Davie Donaldson The UK has officially BREXited the European Union – but what does this mean for Irish Travellers? The news has been difficult to follow, vague and, (as usual) not representative of the Traveller perspective. So, here’s my…
Seeks Young Traveller Voices By John Madden SpunOut.ie is a national charitable organisation providing information for young people across Ireland and beyond. Its popularity has grown significantly over the last number of years, often being a case of trying to meet the growing demand for an ever-inquisitive younger generation. One gap that lay within SpunOut.ie…
By Rose Marie Maughan I am a Traveller woman from Ballinrobe, County Mayo. Like many Traveller women, I became a human rights activist in 2004 after having enough of both external and internal oppression as a Traveller woman. I have been blessed to work within the Irish Traveller Movement ever since in various different positions.…
Minnie Connors: The Story of one Woman’s Crusade to Secure Mental Health Supports for her Community. By Miriam Kerins When a beloved family member dies by suicide, the people affected most dramatically are those closest to them. And, if a certain family member has daily interaction with the deceased, then they will very often feel…