Travellers’ golf action success sparks raft of new cases

MORE than 200 complaints have been lodged by Travellers in the North since new race laws were introduced, it was disclosed yesterday.

Travellers are set to mount a fresh raft of discrimination actions after a golf club made a €7,000 payment to five men barred from playing its course.

Traveller Movement acting director Mary McMahon said: “They will see that there are opportunities now open to them to bring cases and have them investigated.”

Even though Travellers claim they have endured years of being refused service in shops and pubs, the out-of-court settlement involving Dungannon Golf Club in Co Tyrone was hailed as a landmark victory.

The club, where Ryder Cup star Darren Clarke learned to play, agreed to pay the men €1,400 each in compensation.

It also agreed to consider future applications for membership without discrimination.

The legal action, backed by the Equality Commission, was taken following a decision to refuse the men permission to play the parkland course in June 2000.

It is understood the men had played the course with non-Travellers.

But when they later returned, this time unaccompanied, they were refused permission and were asked to leave.

Their case was brought under the Race Relations (Northern Ireland) Order before the club issued an apology and admitted its guilt.

Officials also accepted that their practices and procedures were unlawful and contrary to the order.

It is believed to be the first time any of Northern Ireland’s Travelling community have won a case against a sports club.

With a population of just over 1,700, Ms McMahon insisted there has been a rash of general victimisation complaints.

And she predicted more to come as Travellers established fledgling self-help groups across the North.

She said: “There have been over 200 cases reported to the Equality Commission since the Race Relations Order came in in 1997.

“This is the first action against a private organisation of this kind, but it could and should encourage more.

“It’s not about a compensation culture, it’s about a disadvantaged ethnic minority asserting their rights.

“Travellers are now less likely to put up with the treatment they traditionally receive.”