Traveller rights must be recognised

When journalist Brenda Power claimed in a newspaper article that feuding was the main expression of Traveller culture and that Traveller males are lazy, violent, drunken, and misogynistic, she evoked a response that has not been seen since Mary Ellen Synon attacked the Paralympics in 2000.

Traveller support groups condemned the Daily Mail article as racist, while the Equality Authority denounced it as demeaning and hurtful.

However, her harsh words struck a chord with members of the majority settled community. Some of them have voiced their opinions online, with many sharing Ms Power’s view, either in whole or in part.