Who Are the Irish Travellers? Traveller Culture in Transition

Abstract

This chapter sets the social and cultural context in which the folk-linguistic analysis of the following chapters is embedded. Here, the author critically examines, at first, aspects of oral history of the Irish Travellers’ origin, history, and past relationships with the non-Traveller community, and how these accounts relate to dominant and institutional historical narratives. The second part explores the participants’ narratives of cultural strongholds and experiences of the present-day situation as well as their relationship with non-Travellers today. Both of these themes uncover underlying patterns of domination and oppression which influence Travellers’ self-understanding within wider Irish society and which the author sees as responsible for a range of social challenges. The chapter gives the readers a feel for the cultural and social setting and background that allows them to anticipate the role and purpose that Cant fulfils in that cultural setting.