The general feel is that of 'I have nothing against travellers, but I don't want to live beside one'
This is for a variety of reasons.
There would be a higher proportion of travellers in trouble with the law at any one time per capita, than of the settled community. And by traveller, I also mean settled travellers. Those who live permanenty in houses. I do not have figures to back that up, but I do know it from living in Ireland all my life.
Most travellers do not finish even 2nd level education. Most do not go to school past about the age of 15 or 16, and even then their shooling may have been sporadic, and may come out at the end illiterate, or semi-literate at best.
Girls, who may be more interested to continue their education, are often discouraged from doing so, because they cannot be seen to be more educated than their husbands. They will generally marry very young.
Many do not work. For a variety of reasons, the main being discimination - people do not want to hire them, Lack of education - they cannot do most jobs, and thirdly, many do simply not want to work, preferring to live off social security, child benefit etc.
If you have young teenage boys who do not go to school and do not work, this can lead to trouble with the law as per above.
There are often cases of feuds between rivalling families. These can lead to bloodshed and even more bad blood, pardon the pun. This is frightening to watch, especially for non-travellers who have never seen meat hooks, scythes etc being used as weapons.
Excessive drinking can also be a problem, as can domestic violence.Child mortality rates are higher, age of death is also significantly lower than in the settled community.
Many travellers live quite happily near settled people. However, many simply do not want to. Some want a house for the winter, supplied by the government, but then be free to travel for the summer. Some live in housing estates, but still want their horses and dogs. Seeing piebald ponies on the greens of housing estates is not an unusual sight.
The successive governments have not got it right either. They either throw 6 bedroom mansions at travellers, thus ensuring others on the housing list will complain vocally and often physically, or else the government builds traveller encampments out in the sticks without access to basic services, and then wonder why there is litter and rubbish scattered around.
None of these are insurmountable obstacles. Lack of dialogue and lack of understanding, and respect, of both cultures are bigger obstacles.
However, generally it is subject which is brushed under the carpet instead of being tackled head on.
The belief in gods has been around since time immemorial.
In this part of the world, we had the Celtic gods like Nuadha, Crom and Dagda. There were also unknown pre-celtic gods. Gods and goddesses of the sun, moon etc.
In other countries, there were other gods and goddesses, such as Ah Puch, Thor, Zeus, Venus, Anubis,etc.
Many prayers were said to these gods, libations made, structures built - think Stonehenge; Newgrange, pyramids all over the world from Mesopotamia to Mexico.
There were gods for everything, each had a speciality. The people believed these gods needed to be honoured and appeased as they brought the rain and the sun, harvest and famine, love and sadness, life and death.
These gods did not care about mankind, they just wanted to be loved and honoured or they would bring death and destruction.
These gods were mankind's way of dealing with a life and world he did not understand. It made sense. If the crop failed, it was because the gods were unhappy for some reason. Sacrifices had to be made, prayers said, gods appeased.
The gods played dice with human lives for their own amusement.
Then 2000 years ago, from the middle east a man spread news of another god. A god of love. A god who sent his own son, said man, amongst humankind to live with them, learn from them. This one god could replace all ths other gods. You could pray to him for good weather, love, health, life. Finally, a god who was on mankind's side. This god was immediately embraced. Although not before his son was murdered by members of the old guard who wanted to keep the status quo, as this new god looked like he could become too popular, too powerful. It was too late, the idea had already taken hold, and thus Christianity was born. Other religions were born in a similar way. Wars are now fought over which 'modern' god is the true god.
People have had a need to make sense of the world since the beginning of time.
Obviously, education would be the best solution. It usually is.
But alcohol is so engrained in Irish society that showing pictures of diseased livers and telling people about the dangers of drinking won't be enough.
It has to become socially unacceptable to be so drunk you can't remember the night before. Rather than the current thinking - Íf I don't remember it, it was definitely a good night!'
mollybaby Forum Posts (23,608)
RE: hmmm...
I hate whiskey, but I'll certainly join you for a vodka, and maybe even throw in a bit of red bull