Traveller girl outshines stereotype

_Brian · 20-07-2018 11:26AM #1

I spotted this on Twitter last night and today I thought I’d go back and post the link here.

Coming from more than a disadvantaged background this girl has done wonderfully and seems to have plans to shine further.

As she says herself she is on a minority but hopefully over time this type of story will be less and less unusual.

I’m more often negative about travellers due to my own experiences but this teaches me that tarring ALL of any group with one brush is never ever the right thing.

https://twitter.com/chelsmcdonagh/status/1019925682909077504?s=20

whisky_galore · 20-07-2018 11:32AM

If only enough of them abandoned their outdated lifestyle and fell in with the rest of us.

Fiery mutant · 20-07-2018 11:35AM

Fair play to her. Shows what happens when you approach society with a positive outlook.

Imagine if she was in a majority.

seamus · 20-07-2018 11:40AM

whisky_galore wrote: »

If only enough of them abandoned their outdated lifestyle and fell in with the rest of us.

It's not even about "falling in line".

Traveller culture can be maintained, and travellers can thrive, and do so in a way that doesn't bring them into conflict with the rest of society.

There are no barriers to getting an education, making an honest living and paying your taxes while living in a caravan where it's legal and reasonable to do so and in a way that respects the local environment and the local populations. And in a way that respects yourself and your community.

None, whatsoever.

Mrs OBumble · 20-07-2018 11:44AM

whisky_galore wrote: »

If only enough of them abandoned their outdated lifestyle and fell in with the rest of us.

You have no idea how many already have.

LollipopJimmy · 20-07-2018 11:54AM

seamus wrote: »

It's not even about "falling in line".

Traveller culture can be maintained, and travellers can thrive, and do so in a way that doesn't bring them into conflict with the rest of society.

There are no barriers to getting an education, making an honest living and paying your taxes while living in a caravan where it's legal and reasonable to do so and in a way that respects the local environment and the local populations. And in a way that respects yourself and your community.

None, whatsoever.

100% agree, and to add, traditional traveller culture should be maintained.

Anybody who grew up in the 80's or earlier will probably remember that if you needed a part for a car you went down to the travellers and get it from them. Scrap cars were brought to them and they broke them down to sell parts. Now it's just thievery, I work close to a halting site and even in the heatwave we couldn't leave the front door open because as soon as it's open the feckers run in and wreck the place.

Hector Bellend · 20-07-2018 12:12PM

I'm studying for my fourth degree. I dont see anyone sucking my sac.

Ri_Nollaig · 20-07-2018 12:19PM

Hector Bellend wrote: »

I'm studying for my fourth degree. I dont see anyone sucking my sac.

are you trying to collect them?

Noveight · 20-07-2018 12:21PM

Fair play to her.

On the mobile so I can’t do too much searching but it’d be interesting to see if her drive for education came from herself or a parent/relative.

whisky_galore · 20-07-2018 12:23PM

LollipopJimmy wrote: »

100% agree, and to add, traditional traveller culture should be maintained.

Anybody who grew up in the 80's or earlier will probably remember that if you needed a part for a car you went down to the travellers and get it from them. Scrap cars were brought to them and they broke them down to sell parts. Now it's just thievery, I work close to a halting site and even in the heatwave we couldn't leave the front door open because as soon as it's open the feckers run in and wreck the place.

Why should it?

Beating the heads off one another to settle differences?
Sulkies? (glorified animal abuse)
Caravan living?
Moving from place to place with kids only getting scraps of education?

Who wants any of that maintained?

20-07-2018 12:24PM

I know other travellers with degrees, masters, a lecturer, another with a PhD. So yeah, fair play to her etc., but they're people and shining a special light on them as if it's an amazing achievement just perpetuates the victim-complex some want to keep.

Signore Fancy Pants · 20-07-2018 12:27PM

I'll be amazed when they start paying tax, not because one of them got an education.

Hector Bellend · 20-07-2018 12:28PM

Ri_Nollaig wrote: »

are you trying to collect them?

Thats the general idea of education

whisky_galore · 20-07-2018 12:33PM

seamus wrote: »

It's not even about "falling in line".

Traveller culture can be maintained, and travellers can thrive, and do so in a way that doesn't bring them into conflict with the rest of society.

There are no barriers to getting an education, making an honest living and paying your taxes while living in a caravan where it's legal and reasonable to do so and in a way that respects the local environment and the local populations. And in a way that respects yourself and your community.

None, whatsoever.

If that's the case, why aren't the rest of them arsed about bettering themselves?

_Brian · 20-07-2018 12:43PM

Hector Bellend wrote: »

I'm studying for my fourth degree. I dont see anyone sucking my sac.

The fact that your blowing your own trumpet means your sack doesn’t need attention

Signore Fancy Pants · 20-07-2018 01:01PM

_Brian wrote: »

The fact that your blowing your own trumpet means your sack doesn’t need attention

Beautiful.

That should be on a Hallmark card!

Billy86 · 20-07-2018 01:02PM

Subscribing for absolutely no other reason but to view the saltiness of the usual crowd as they struggle to get the standard digs in wherever they can.

Fair play to her on doing so, and if she goes in to complete that masters she'll officially be better educated than many (probably most) of those same salty f*ckers on here.

seamus · 20-07-2018 01:06PM

whisky_galore wrote: »

If that's the case, why aren't the rest of them arsed about bettering themselves?

They have an extreme case of the Irish "anti-notions" mindset that vilifies anyone who would dare try to better themselves.

They shun education because that's someone getting notions about being better than other Travellers.

Like most extremely patriarchal cultures, fragile ego is one of the strong pillars and anything which threatens that - including someone being more intelligent than you - is to be regarded as an enemy.

jim salter · 20-07-2018 01:10PM

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

You have no idea how many already have.

Go on then, tell us how many exactly?

Fiery mutant · 20-07-2018 01:34PM

Billy86 wrote: »

Subscribing for absolutely no other reason but to view the saltiness of the usual crowd as they struggle to get the standard digs in wherever they can.

Fair play to her on doing so, and if she goes in to complete that masters she'll officially be better educated than many (probably most) of those same salty f*ckers on here.

I don’t think anyone’s being ‘salty’ to be honest. I’m happy for her, she’s done really well, no matter her background. She’s better educated that I am. I hope she has a tremendous future, as her determination and hard work so far deserves.

DavidLyons_ · 20-07-2018 02:03PM

Billy86 wrote: »

Subscribing for absolutely no other reason but to view the saltiness of the usual crowd as they struggle to get the standard digs in wherever they can.

Fair play to her on doing so, and if she goes in to complete that masters she'll officially be better educated than many (probably most) of those same salty f*ckers on here.

Congratulations to her. Fantastic achievement and certainly an example that not all travellers are wrong-uns. Wonderful to see and I wish her every success for the future.

However she is very much in the minority amongst travellers and holding her up as a beacon as to what members of her community can achieve, should they so wish, might be a better tactic for the apologists and defenders of the "lifestyle" rather than using her as a stick to beat those of us who have only ever had predominantly negative experiences with travellers and their "culture".

whisky_galore · 20-07-2018 02:08PM

seamus wrote: »

They have an extreme case of the Irish "anti-notions" mindset that vilifies anyone who would dare try to better themselves.

They shun education because that's someone getting notions about being better than other Travellers.

Like most extremely patriarchal cultures, fragile ego is one of the strong pillars and anything which threatens that - including someone being more intelligent than you - is to be regarded as an enemy.

That kind of culture can't die out soon enough.

TheBoyFromAus · 20-07-2018 02:09PM

Hector Bellend wrote: »

Thats the general idea of education

Is it?

suicide_circus · 20-07-2018 02:09PM

seamus wrote: »

It's not even about "falling in line".

Traveller culture can be maintained, and travellers can thrive, and do so in a way that doesn't bring them into conflict with the rest of society.

There are no barriers to getting an education, making an honest living and paying your taxes while living in a caravan where it's legal and reasonable to do so and in a way that respects the local environment and the local populations. And in a way that respects yourself and your community.

None, whatsoever.

that's presuming that traveller culture starts and ends with living in a caravan. a lot of the stuff that gets bad publicity - aversion to education and paying taxes, fighting and feuding, grabbing and early marriages etc - that's all traveller culture.

TallGlass · 20-07-2018 02:40PM

There's some people on this site with some very sour fúcking grapes against someone clearly going against the odds in her community and becoming something.

Fair play to her and phek the rest of you be belittling her with 'oh sure I could do that'.

Ri_Nollaig · 20-07-2018 02:50PM

TheBoyFromAus wrote: »

Is it?

It is for the perpetual student

Church on Tuesday · 20-07-2018 03:59PM

Billy86 wrote: »

Subscribing for absolutely no other reason but to view the saltiness of the usual crowd as they struggle to get the standard digs in wherever they can.

Fair play to her on doing so, and if she goes in to complete that masters she'll officially be better educated than many (probably most) of those same salty f*ckers on here.

Well in fairness I'm sure the 'usual crowd' have their reasons for being salty towards Travellers. I would have my reasons for sure.

Fair play to her for bettering herself to try and obtain a better existence for herself, it can't have been an easy thing to do in and of itself, but she is certainly in the minority.

Mrs OBumble · 20-07-2018 06:04PM

jim salter wrote: »

Go on then, tell us how many exactly?

No one knows.

I can name a few who are educated to some extent (ef LC, or an IT course), who have jobs and pay tax. And ya know what? Most people who see them in the street wouldn't even think that that they're Travellers.

jim salter · 20-07-2018 06:20PM

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

No one knows.

I can name a few who are educated to some extent (ef LC, or an IT course), who have jobs and pay tax. And ya know what? Most people who see them in the street wouldn't even think that that they're Travellers.

So, you made a statement:

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

You have no idea how many already have.

about:

whisky_galore wrote: »

If only enough of them abandoned their outdated lifestyle and fell in with the rest of us.

So the tone of your response implied you knew how many travelers have abandoned their outdated lifestyle and started to live as contributing members of society.

You can name 'a few' who have (some) education and pay tax....out of approx 30,000? Why? To what end?

The fact of the matter is that a large majority of travelers are involved in criminality (which is borne out by the disproportionate statistics from the prison service statistics) and when 'a few' contribute by 'paying tax' we should all give them a pat on the head and say 'well done'? I think not. I say well done to the individual, like I would any other individual that succeeds but to try ingratiate the whole 'ethnic minority' due the achievement of less then 0.001% is either naive or agenda driven...(that is of course, in my opinion)

Yer Da sells Avon · 20-07-2018 06:28PM

Church on Tuesday wrote: »

Well in fairness I'm sure the 'usual crowd' have their reasons for being salty towards Travellers.

A desire to punch downwards usually. If it wasn't Travellers, they'd be angry with some other marginalised group. It's particularly depressing that they feel the need to use a 'good news story' as an excuse to have a go.

freshpopcorn · 20-07-2018 06:29PM

Back in the mid 2000's traveller women started picking up jobs locally in supermarkets/cleaners/hair and beauty.(In my area) one even started up her own business.. However programs such as My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding and things started to slow a bit in my experience.
Another issue is people like John Connors who continue to play the victim card.
They need more role models like this woman and not like John Connors!

Traveller girl outshines stereotype

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