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The Travellers are a nomadic people descended from the Irish population… They live mainly on the road, aboard trailers, and make their living from music and handicrafts… They even have their own language: Shelta!
A caravan in Ireland – Neal houghton
The Travellers are descended from another nomadic Irish people: the Tarish. They can be traced back to the Irish Middle Ages under the Gaelic name Lucht Siúil (Walking People), which later became “Traveller”. Note that the term Tinkers is more pejorative: to be avoided, whatever the circumstances…
From the Middle Ages to the present day, Travellers have always had a special relationship with horses. They’ve always used it, whether for heavy-duty work or simply to pull their trailers.
Today, there are an estimated 24,000 Travellers in Ireland. However, they tend to settle around big cities like Dublin, and support themselves by selling beautiful handicrafts. Many of them are also musicians or entertainers…
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