Re: MP's Tell their Leaders to act tough on Travellers!
Hi BC, As you have now mentioned the town in Limerick that I didn't in my earlier post
I will agree with you. I have many times walked down that same street shown in the Independent. All of my Dad's family have lived in Rathkeale for generations, so I have good knowledge of what goes on there.
I'm sure I've posted before that years ago, six of us went over to attend the funeral of my Uncle,(Dad's brother) a very well respected businessman in the town. Until then, I had no knowledge or experienced of ever meeting with travellers.
Whilst staying there over the 3 days, on the first night, after a rather long journey, we fancied some Fish and Chips from the only Chippie in the town back then. When we walked into the shop there was a long queue stretching back to the doors, but we were quite happy to wait our turn. (We were staying in bed and breakfast with many others going to the Funeral)
We couldn't understand though why the proprietor and the two people wrapping the food kept beckoning us to come up to the front of the counter. Of course, being the nosy one of all of us, I walked up to the counter with many eyes in the long queue staring at me as I walked the length of the shop.
"What would you like?" I was asked, I just stood there so bewildered I couldn't answer! "Ermm, I'm not sure, I'll check with the others while we wait" is all I could think to say, "You don't have to wait, sweetheart, you take priority over this lot of travellers" he said within earshot of all of them. I looked at the people in the queue looking at me, and was aghast at how accepting they were of such an outrageous, discriminatory act against them! Of course, being furious but not sure how to respond, I must have been so red-faced with shame and embarrassment, I just replied "No thank you, we don't mind waiting our turn" and returned to the back of the queue. Nothing was said when we finally reached the counter, but I don't think the proprietor was very happy with our reaction!.
I feel sure that every right-minded person would have reacted in exactly the same way. That was pure discrimination of the worse kind. When I relayed the incident to my cousins and enquired why the travellers were treated so disgracefully, he wasn't too happy with what we had done. He said the townspeople were saying to all in their society, travellers had to know their place in the pecking order, if they chose not to pay taxes, and act in ways that are normal to they and their own kind, but antisocial to everyone else, and wished to keep to themselves on a "them and us" basis, then that is the way it is, it is down to the townspeople how they wish to treat them. End of!
I wanted to say so much more, but respect for my cousin, the reason we were there anyway and not knowing or understanding their ways, ensured I kept my mouth shut. But, regardless of how I feel about travellers now, I still seethe with rage over that inhumane and disgraceful treatment.
But, of course nowadays, the shoe is on the other foot. Rathkeale has for decades been the spiritual home of the travellers. Even back then, we were open-mouthed at all of the beautiful homes they owned, today there are so many beautiful newly built swiss-style 5/6 bedroomed homes built there, never lived in however, always boarded up for some reason or another!
The moment land becomes available, they snap it up for more building. So if anyone says they have nowhere to return to, they are talking poppycock.
Ireland itself though, is now so convulsed in Political Correctness that they have put into law that travellers must always be addressed with a capital T. The travellers have gotten away with so much over there that is the reason they have travelled over to England to try their luck over here also. They are making good use of their "Ethnic Minority" status to make mugs of our government and local authorites They learn very fast all the laws and regulations and won't hesitate to use the law themselves for their own ends if they think they can get "compensation" for being evicted from the rubbish tips that are of their own making.
As I said early, I abhor discrimination, but any sympathy I ever had for them has long ago disappeared.