Population shift and settlement patterns of Irish Travellers∗

Abstract

Rural to urban migration in the period 1960–1976 has resulted in a conspicuous distributional shift of Irish Travellers, most of whom now reside along the periphery of major cities. The most striking feature of re‐distribution has been the massive convergence of families on Co. Dublin. Urbanization has promoted the transition from nomadism to sedentarization, a process ordinarily facilitated by settlement committees. Most counties have settled 40 to 60% of their Itinerants. Yet the overall pattern of distribution remains highly irregular, owing largely to the disparity in settlement strategies employed by the different counties. Sedentarization is best achieved by the sequential transition from unauthorized roadside encampments to chalets or standard housing. Graduation from one stage to the next represents a shift in both spatial and social locus. Though approximately one‐third of all Travellers have been permanently settled, most still occupy transitional stages ranging from semi‐nomadism to quasi‐sedentarization. An estimated 300 families remain highly transient and resistant to settled life in any form. Their peregrinations can best be accommodated by the provision of ‘halts'; however, this concept has been vigorously eschewed by most counties.