Limerick Traveller Family story in Irish Times

Kess73 · 01-12-2011 6:40pm

It maybe not quite the right thread for this, but the village of Bruree may well be on it's way to attracting similar media attention to Rathkeale or the halting site mentioned in the original post in this thread.

11 houses in the village have seen travellers take up residency in them, and some of those travellers or rather their actions has seen many locals not using the two streets at certain times anymore.

Whilst the actions of the travellers causing the hassle does not mean that every traveller is the same, it certainly reflects badly on the ones in Bruree at present and could potentially change the dynamics of the tiny village very quickly.

Sid_Justice · 01-12-2011 7:59pm

A Country Voice wrote: »

Thats one hell of an excuse for not gettin off your ar*e and getting a job when the country had thousands of people coming here from other countries at the time to work, and there were jobs to be had everywhere.
ACV

Travellers are very traditional and old-fashioned. 50 years ago the vast majority of mothers were not employed in work outside the home. The cooked and cleaned and kept households. This culture, which has become old fashioned and rare in irish society (almost all middle class people families have parents who both work) is still present in Travellers.

This thread seems to have turned into a bitch-fest about travellers, aren't there enough of those threads on boards already.

the_blackstuff · 01-12-2011 11:05pm

It really must be a woeful existence tho living in a site like that in this day and age. It's not something I'd like to experience. It may be hypocritical of me after saying this but I like many people about have a major issue paying for travelers when I feel they contribute nothing to us as a country. Where have all their handcrafts from years gone by disappeared to? I've often been told by older people about the quality of their work with metals making such things as buckets, tanks, tub..... right it can be said that these things can be got in plastic and such now cheap but there is still a market for it. I've seen first hand what happens to most of the houses they get. They are stripped out and the contents sold. The council then refit out the house again at our expense. I know 1 builder refitted kitchen, bathroom and complete heating system 3 times into the same house with the same tenants in it.

As far as I'm concerned they contribute sweet fa to our society and I have enough to pay for with out putting them in a nice cottage out the country.

Brennans Row · 02-12-2011 1:07am

Kess73 wrote: »

I find myself both agreeing with you and strongly disagreeing with you.

Mainly because I see Travellers simply as people, and as people they are made up of the same types as any other group in society. There are good ones, bad ones, happy one, contrary ones and so on.

When it comes to Travellers in Limerick with the Casey surname, I can think of examples that I personally know that I would regard as top notch people, and I can think of a few whose actions have me regarding them as vile excuses for people.

As with a lot of topics that attract heated debate, I think the subject of travellers too often attracts extremes of opinion, and the middle ground (where the truth often lies) tends to be ignored and not explored.

Although this article is over two years two years old, it does show the Limerick Caseys in a more positive light.

This Limerick Life - Boxer Willie Casey

Published on Thursday 30 July 2009 (Limerick Leader)

Boxer Willie 'Big Bang' Casey, 27, is a father of four, and one of 22 siblings who grew up in Clonlong halting site in Southill. A qualified boxing coach, he began boxing in Our Lady of Lourdes boxing club and Southill boxing club at 12. He has fought in 12 international amateur matches, and he knocked out Calosa Caolho de Jesus from Brazil his first pro-fight last October. He's now preparing to get back into the ring

I was the first person in my family to do the Junior Certificate. I left in fifth year to work part-time, but after that some of my brothers and sisters went on to do with Leaving Certificate and some have gone to college. I'd like to think I set the mark.

Boxing was always in my heart. I love it, but I was also big into hurling, football, soccer, rugby and athletics. I set the mark that I wanted to win the All-Ireland championship. I didn't do great in the first year or two but the more effort I put into my training, the more success I was getting.

I love the one-to-one competitiveness of boxing. There's no one depending on you, and you're not depending on anyone. It's all down to yourself.

It feels great when you win a fight, especially if you've lost the last one. Every time you win you get more confident that you're going to beat the next fella. Every time I get into the ring, I do my best.

Growing up, I loved Ricky Hatton's style of boxing. He had a really exciting style. And then I followed Wayne McCullough around for a while, going to see him box. Of course, I like Mike Tyson. He's a big fella, but I'd fight him if I had to. I'd fight any man.

My wife Mary got pregnant at 16, so I settled down at a young age. She supported me all the way with boxing. I learnt welding and we had three more kids. I'd like to see my kids just sticking at something. Whatever makes them happy.

My advice to any teenager is to keep it up. Never give up. You're not going to make anything of yourself if you keep packing it in.
I'm a Traveller and nothing else. From the bottom of my heart, I wouldn't change it for the world. I'm proud of who I am. If I got a chance to live anywhere in the country, I'd live in Southill.

I'd change nothing from my past. It made me who I am. Growing up in Clonlong we did typical things as teenagers, experimental things, but we knew our limits. You can still get out of things; you can still make something of yourself. I went to outreach clubs, and homework clubs in the Galvone Industrial Estate. They're a great help for teenagers.

The only good thing that happened to me this year was the birth of my daughter, Ellie-May. She's five months and she's my princess. I had the death of my brother and uncle, and then I parted with my trainer just before I was due to fight in Castlebar. The contract broke down, and I never got to fight. But the birth of my daughter blocked it all out.

Every now and again I'll eat chipper food. I love my food and I don't eat bad food, but I do like a smokey bacon burger from Supermac's as a treat. Mostly it's bacon, cabbage and turnip, and roast beef on a Sunday.

The worst thing you can do is throw in the towel. But that's not going to happen to me now. If I didn't start boxing again I'd look back at 35 or 40 and regret it, and I'm not a fella for regretting things. My new nickname was given to me by a man in Cork; before it was Razor Casey. I'm delighted with it, but now I have to live up to it.

Interview: Anne Sheridan

ABEasy · 02-12-2011 9:59am

Sid_Justice wrote: »

The cooked and cleaned and kept households. This culture, which has become old fashioned and rare in irish society (almost all middle class people families have parents who both work) is still present in Travellers.

The reason this tradition has become rare in Irish society is because those people you refer to (yes those who contribute positively to Irish society) cannot afford the luxury of having a 1 income family! These people subsidise the chosen lifestyles of travellers and the like who choose not to work or contribute to Irish society. Minority or not their 'give me, give me, give me' attitude stinks and shows their contempt for the hard working, tax paying sector of our society. This needs to change for the good of society.

Kess73 · 02-12-2011 11:43am

Brennans Row wrote: »

Although this article is over two years two years old, it does show the Limerick Caseys in a more positive light.

I know Willie for a good number of years now through boxing circles, and have nothing but good to say about the guy. He is the exact same guy know in terms of being a good person as he was when he stepped into the ring as a raw amatuer.

I had to defend his name on here last year I think because a few were tarring and feathering him due to him sharing the same surname (and being related to) as a number of people who have commited some vile crimes in Limerick.

Willie is a good man, and for my money a good role model for kids of all backgrounds as he is a great example of what hard work and dedication can do.

Huxley10 · 02-12-2011 3:26pm

"The propagandist's purpose is to make one set of people forget that certain other sets of people are human."

- Aldous Huxley, The Olive Tree (1936)

This thread make me nauseous. How many of you actually talk to members of the travelling community day-to-day? You state that they don't contribute to society, and thus imply that every settled person does contribute? That's an interesting view.

Take a step back and look at the social history of this country. The travelling community biggest obstacle to improving their lot is the education deficit (as is any communities), the previous generation have bad memories of the state's previous attempt to educate them where illiterate children aged twelve were thrown in to classrooms and told to learn. How do you think that ended?

osarusan · 02-12-2011 3:51pm

Huxley10 wrote: »

You state that they don't contribute to society, and thus imply that every settled person does contribute? That's an interesting view.

This is a logical fallacy. To argue that Travellers do not contribute to society does not imply that every settled person does.

bigpink · 02-12-2011 4:31pm

Kess73 wrote: »

It maybe not quite the right thread for this, but the village of Bruree may well be on it's way to attracting similar media attention to Rathkeale or the halting site mentioned in the original post in this thread.

11 houses in the village have seen travellers take up residency in them, and some of those travellers or rather their actions has seen many locals not using the two streets at certain times anymore.

Whilst the actions of the travellers causing the hassle does not mean that every traveller is the same, it certainly reflects badly on the ones in Bruree at present and could potentially change the dynamics of the tiny village very quickly.

I can confirm that a well known Limerick traveller crime family have moved out there.They have bought the house it would be interesting to see how that was paid for

11 i wasnt aware of that many,thats Bruree ruined:mad:

Kess73 · 02-12-2011 4:38pm

bigpink wrote: »

I can confirm that a well known Limerick traveller crime family have moved out there.They have bought the house it would be interesting to see how that was paid for

11 i wasnt aware of that many,thats Bruree ruined:mad:

A lot of what has moved in there are not Limerick travellers. Quite a few are from the UK with Rathkeale links.

From what I have actually seen in the village as well as talking to family who still live there, the new arrivals are doing as they please, and doing their bit to give decent travellers in a bad name.

Huxley10 · 02-12-2011 5:02pm

osarusan wrote: »

This is a logical fallacy. To argue that Travellers do not contribute to society does not imply that every settled person does.

Of course it doesn't mean that every settled person does contribute, ergo....

stoeger · 02-12-2011 5:14pm

source wrote: »

The main issue here is that they're saying that they shouldn't have to live in a dump.....None of these halting sites have been handed over to the travellers in the state they're currently in.

The halting sites are the way they are through neglect on the part of the tenants.

Im a truck driver and had to do a big clean up job on one of the Casey sites we removed around 30 20 ton loads of mixt rubbish and muck . the rats were all over the place the smell was rank. thay get free bin collection so why all the **** .the place was just as bad a month later and all payed by the tax payer .

seachto7 · 03-12-2011 3:26am

bigpink wrote: »

I can confirm that a well known Limerick traveller crime family have moved out there.They have bought the house it would be interesting to see how that was paid for

11 i wasnt aware of that many,thats Bruree ruined:mad:

a vigilante group would soon sort them out. Plenty of hardy country lads out there should clean up their village, take pics of it, and send it to LK Leader out and about section....

Limerick Traveller Family story in Irish Times

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