Who are Irish travelers and why are they called gypsies (11 photos)

They live in trailers all over Britain and are almost always on the move.





In Great Britain and Ireland there is a special people who live by their own rules. These are Irish travelers. They are often confused with gypsies, but they are completely different peoples, they are not even similar in appearance. Moreover, even genetic studies were carried out that disproved their relationship. If the gypsies are of Indo-Aryan origin, then the travelers are the native Irish.



But still, Irish Travelers were officially recognized as an ethnic group only in the 2000s, although this people have lived in Ireland for at least four centuries. They are freedom-loving, eccentric and very unique: they live in trailers and travel a lot. In general, this whole way of life gave rise to constant comparisons with the gypsies.





If you watched the film Snatch by Guy Ricci, you will probably understand who we are talking аbout: Brad Pitt played the Irish traveler, which is what he is called in the original voice acting. However, the translators decided to simplify: it was for this reason that Mickey became a gypsy.

Where did they come from?

There are several theories that explain the origin of the travelers. So, one version says that this people separated from the Irish during the conquest of Ireland by Cromwell (XVII century). Some of the Irish simply went to wander and never returned to a sedentary lifestyle. Research has shown that they separated so long ago that modern travelers are even genetically different from modern Irish people.



1954

According to the second version, the travelers are the indigenous population of these territories, who lived here even before the arrival of the Celts. This also perfectly explains the genetic differences.



1958

They always led a nomadic lifestyle: they rode horses, which in the twentieth century were replaced by wagons, set up a small settlement, and traded at fairs. Travelers made jewelry, worked with scrap metal, and sold horses and their harnesses. After living in one place for a short time, they hit the road again.

Your own language and your own culture

Both the Irish and the British are very wary of Irish travelers. Travelers have a low level of education, their children often do not even finish school, and they usually have large families. For example, half a century ago it was quite normal to have five to seven children, but in recent years the trend has changed.



Up to 300 thousand travelers live in the United Kingdom, and about 10 thousand people also live in the United States.



Life on the road. 1960s

For a long time, these people were not recognized as an ethnic group, although many travelers enjoy their life. They are proud of their identity, their heritage, their nomadic lifestyle and values. They even have their own language - Shelta, a mixture of English and Irish, although they also speak English. Their favorite activity is bare-knuckle boxing, and some travelers practice this sport professionally.



White gypsies, as they are also called in Great Britain, usually do not have a permanent job; they earn their living by working extra jobs. Actually, little has changed over the centuries: they also breed dogs and horses and sell scrap metal.



Of course, it has become more difficult for modern travelers to maintain their lifestyle, because now you can’t set up camp everywhere; most of the land belongs to someone.



One of the camps.

In Ireland, they even organize special territories for them where they can stay, but white gypsies consider such a move to be an infringement of their rights and freedom. It is for this reason that freedom-loving people often set up camp in inappropriate places.



Irish travelers on the side of the road.