Well maybe not locked compounds but there are sites in England where travellers run their own affairs with agreement from the local council.
It’s not such a bad thing.

They would not be so bad if they did not dump rubbish all over the place, paid their taxes, respected the environment, contributed to the greater community, did not hold pitched battles with scythes and slash hooks, did not let horses loose on roads, did not wreck pubs clubs and hotels when out drinking, did not intimate the locals, made sure their children received a decent education (provided free by the state, paid for by us), I could go on….

Mc Eniff is off the reservation now :D

Travellers have ethnic minority status in the UK but not here. What type of segragation is he talking about? Ghettoes or concentration camps? We are all aware of the negatives of Traveller life. They choose segragation already in general. They have essentially lost their nomadic culture and replaced it with the worst parts of ours. Years ago you would never have seen a traveller woman dressed like the tallaghfornian gang, now its the done thing. The problem is that their culture is extreme ly patriarchal. The men control the women.women dress for men , they must be virgins for marriage, ergo, young marriage etc etc. The key to change is through womens education. If theres anything compulsory, it should be that.

Do you people even realise what you’re saying and liking? A person calls for travellers to be segregated, that is apartheid! Sickening

Probably not but Travellers didnt bankrupt the country.That’s the reality.

I think travellers do have a place in society and should be cherished, they deserve to be housed and provided for because they do not commit crime and they go about their business (said the sarcastic priest)

Maybe not but they do contribute to a high percentage of crime, many have no fixed abode but drive new top of the range vehicles, very few people can pay cash for a new vehicle, they go on about travellers rights what about our rights not to be robbed

Well you’l have to ask Bertie about that lads because Bertie gave them everything they wanted and never asked for Anything back only a vote .FF created it now FF complain .HA jokers

“they go on about travellers rights what about our rights not to be robbed” – so your ideal solution is that all Travellers be denied their rights simply because some in the Travelling community infringe upon your rights? I agree that there is an unacceptably high level of criminality within the Travelling community and that does need to be tackled, but denying all Travellers rights that are guaranteed to those in the settled community, irrespective of their criminality, is not the answer.

@jack – we don’t have more money because of them either. #anti-social behaviour #copper theft #piracy

@ Brian – what rights are being denied exactly?

The right to accommodation is being denied in pretty much every jurisdiction in the country. Many local businesses deny them the right to employment. Many schools deny them the right to an education. What can you expect from a community denied the right to accommodation, employment and education? You hardly expect to have reasoned logical intellectual discourse with someone denied education? Certainly, members of their own community are guilty of preventing others from attaining any sort of educational certification, but why do we in the settled community add to that? Surely it would be preferable to deal with Travellers who are educated, in employment and safe in the knowledge that they have a home to go home to? We in the settled community denied them their right to move prior to the increase in levels of criminality. It was us that created a situation that led many in the Travelling community to turn to drugs, alcohol and crime. It’s the same the world over when a nomadic community is restricted. Take a look at the Native Americans, the Aboriginals in Australia, the Inuit in Canada, the various nomadic tribes of northern Eurasia, the Roma of Central and Eastern Europe. It’s the exact same pattern each and every time. We force them to adopt our cultural mores and then repress them when they can’t. In any conflict situation (be it societal, cultural or otherwise) there has to be some give and take, but we seem to only want to take.

Now who’s generalising Brian?

You must have struggled to keep a straight face when you were typing that the settled community only want to take from the travelling community, and do not give anything to them!

Sorry, meant to click on green thumb

Most studies indicate that while Traveller groups loudly demand the right to education, work, accommodation, etc…..when they get them they actively engage in behaviour that seeks to subvert what is on offer.

Michael, can you name and provide links to 4 of these “most studies”

well said, Brian Ó Dálaigh. It’s fairly depressing to see that so many here are quite happy to label and stigmatise a whole community because of the actions of some people within the community. If a traveller applied to me for a job I would assess the application on the basis of his/her experience and capacity to do the job, not on the actions of his/her family. Similarly, I would not deny education, housing or any other right to somebody simply because they came from a certain community. I realise that I am very much in the minority here.

Youre not really in a minority Brian. The world is full of bullshitters!

I’m sure you wouldn’t Brian. That said, you may still find that any objective standard you choose will still “discriminate” against a certain community. What then? Do you change the standard?

With you on this my sister lives across the road from alleged settled travellers, the poor travellers are making a living hell for all their neighbours, they try to sell their houses to get away anyone who comes for a viewing sees the travellers exercising their “culture” and run! 5(um of the earth.

My cousin is in a similar situation in north Dublin. Previously nice house in tatters, filthy garden, broken boarded up window, excessive drinking and fighting. One of them banging down my cousins door in the middle of the night covered in blood after a disagreement. Cops called. It’s no way to live. Extremely stressful.

Travellers in Maynooth, never cause anyone any bother….in my 28 years in the locality I can’t recall hearing of one incident or reading in the local paper about any disturbances related to them. You’re all racists, should be ashamed of yourselves.

A sponger who has never done an honest days work in his life, never paid tax, social insurance etc. but expects a house for nothing, that’s what a traveller with a house is! Ultimately smarter than idiots like me who work hard to provide for my family and would feel guilty taking a penny off anyone. I guess I’m the sucker…

Michael – you are so right.

Unfortunately Simon, the percentage of this among travellers seems to be greater. I have had experience of a nasty neighbour (not a traveller BTW) so yes some normal people are As bad – but this was in an estate of 500 homes. And this guy was the only one.

If you look at the thumbs up across all the replies above it gives a feel for how the majority of the population feel and what they have experienced.

Can EVERYONE be wrong?

Echo… echo

Well and good for him to mouth off, he will NEVER have them living next door to his home.

Absolutely right …now tell the Travellers!!!

Ya there was a man on tv last night that knew them well said they have lived there for over 40 years and have never caused any trouble and everyone knows them . That’s all I can remember. I don’t know enough about this I don’t meet travellers, met a few in school they were fine but always seemed defensive because they felt they were being judged. I can see why from the comments. But as I said don’t know much about them. We all know the few in our town that are always getting in trouble but as for the rest in my town they could be lovely citizens I have no clue

Oh and their old house they kept in great condition so I don’t know why this families house was burnt down

Caoimhe, I’m all too familiar with the family in question. I work in a shop in the locality and if they are not in stealing from the shop they are stealing from their neighbours. When they get drunk (which is often) the whole neighbourhood knows about it!

Mostly or of Traveller lineage…

Yes, quickly, lets throw a net on the dorty thought criminal and get him to recant!!

No Conor he won’t be booted out of the Party. They will instead set up a Committee to look into the matter.

He’ll have a bright future in the party just like Bertie said of Beverly Cooper Flynn

Is ‘the K word’ a thing now?!!

They have a parasitic existence. Hardly suprising settled folk dont want them as neighbours.

Travelers are people.

What about the settled community that carry out these crimes as well

Oh thats made me change my mind so… they are people. I didnt know that….

@Michael, Hitler, Peter Suthcliffe, Ian Brady, Saddam Hussein, Osama Bin Laden were also people!

Being travellers they avoided the property crash.

Hence this jealousy.

Soylent green. That’s people too.

David, when you want to be accepted by society you must first contribute positively to it.
Need I say more?

But if you keep putting someone down for long enough telling them that they are a burden that they don’t fall within what is acceptable they will believe it I’m up for the discussion but I say I’m not going to change your opinion which is fine by me but can I ask you how can one member if society from the settled community who is arrested for drugs crime etc and has a record is accepted into the community as easily as a member of the travelling community Ireland has a diverse ethnic background now we need to accept all cultures

David while I admire your positive attitude the sad facts remain… travellers in an area means trouble. No one wants them to live beside them…

Oh and David… acceptance you say… how do travellers view gay people, womens rights (including basic rights like an education), non religious people etc etc….

Thank for that Tom and ill be honest until I started back in college and was on placement I would have been one of the people here agreeing with what the ff councillor said but sad as it may be I feel this is a topic that has every member of Irish society divided with the likes of me being a minority but at the same people’s opinions need to change as does attitudes of travellers for example I have seen boxing clubs refuse travellers access to their clubs yet in the last Olympics who can forget John joe nevins performance representing this country

Some travellers have made a success of their lives in an honest and hard working way, sadly they are very much in the minority.

David, im curious what you mean by our beliefs? I believe people should work and be rewarded for that work and if you choose to live outside of that system so be it but don’t show up expecting a free house paid for by tax payers as a reward for your lifestyle choices. There are plenty of traveller specific opportunities and schemes available to them which it would seem have yet to bare fruit. It’s also worth keeping in mind that travellers make up 1% of the Irish pop yet are vastly over represented in prisons, negatively in the media and negatively anecdotally with the general public and a great many people in retail. Look at the crime headlines they’ve made. Look at the mess they leave in their wake. They have to realise that there are responsibilities that come with living in a society – not just handouts.

David, I will give anybody a chance but if a person or group of people or community do not respect me and my way of life they can hardly expect me to embrace theirs.
I have the same problem with any group or community not just travellers.

Thy have no respect for the law or each other . So why should we respect them . . .

23.06 one red thumb.
Who gave that?
Why?
Give a reason?
I would love the opportunity to debate with the person who gave it, you are entitled to your opinion but, my comment is not offensive or ignorant, it’s practical and true. You must be some gob5hite to red thumb this.
You need a good kick up the arse.

Seriously?

There are some people on this site who obviously have no real life experience. La la la la..

But Sarah, are we allowed to have neighbours who obey the law?

Sarah, all they have to do is (1) Obey the law (2) Respect the environment (3) Each other and they wouldn’t have any problems. Hard enough, getting the settled community to behave and respect the law!

Earth calling…. oh forget it. Away on another planet methinks!

Relevance…?

And your point is….?

Point Mceniff and his gang bankrupted the country .His gang bankrupted the country.His gang bankrupted the country.Travellers didnt bankrupt the country people like MCEniff were and are a bigger treat to society do you know they because they bankrupted the country.Relevence !!

Travellers didn’t bankrupt the country, but the negative things we tend to associate with Travellers did: spend what you have, take as much as you can from other people, do what the hell you like, revere the biggest thugs, let someone else worry about clearing up the mess.

Not all Travellers are like that, and not all Irish people are like that. But sometimes I can’t help feeling that the venom spewed towards Travellers has something to do with characteristics of ourselves that we’re not altogether comfortable with.

Well TBH i think past Governments created a platform for this ad by god the traveller took advantage more bad policys by FF and they were treated with more TLC by the police the social welfare so more bad policy making by FF. If you bulid it they will come and they did and there having a great time but ultimately flawed policy in policing and social welfare by FF.Who now cry fowl but the fault lies with them.

Jacks right, FF bankrupted us, travellers stole my lawnmower, who did me more wrong???

Will you lot shut up about ff this and fg that and labour the other.
This debate is about travellers and their respect (or lack of) and any individuals right to comment or give their opinion on the subject, not on which bunch of idiots ruined the finances of the country.

Emily elephant , I thought you were talking about FF instead of travellers when you were listing off what travellers do, pretty similar in my defence

I didn’t bankrupt the country. Where’s my free 5 bed house paid for by the taxpayer??

Julie, that was exactly the point I was making, except that it’s more than just FF. They didn’t win 3 elections by accident.

Fair enough Paul

Why even bother Catherine? Thejournal’s readership has a consistent line on travellers, that bigotry against them is ok cause they’re not a separate race. Console yourself with the fact that there are people out there like myself and yourself who aren’t bigots, who don’t generalise, who don’t stereotype and who aren’t ignorant.