The last of Irelands Wagon dwelling Travellers

The last of the Traditional wagon dwelling Irish Nomads. For Traveller pride week in 2022 I took a trip to Tipperary to see one of the last remaining Irish Travellers still living in a traditional barrel top wagon. They had never lived in a house. The wonderful Nelly Reilly gave me some of their lived history connected to the wagon I didnt have a proper film kit, just a camera, shotgun mic and a tripod. Im glad I didnt wait until I had my gear, and you'll see why. Since filming this video, both Willy and Nelly have had to settle in a house. I remember at the time, they needed to get the canvas mended to make it more weather proof. I looked online to see if I could find a government heritage grant to help preserve this piece of living history. The only grants available were for thatched roofs. I was told that their best bet was to apply for a hardship fund through social welfare. This, to me, highlighted a massive issue. Traveller dwellings and homes were not considered a vital enough part of the Irish landscape to preserve. Some roofs were worth mending. This is the first line of their list of purposes for the historic thatch grant: " Protect heritage value of thatched roof buildings across Ireland, including dwellings and other structures". The sad and bitter Irony is that the wagon was bought cheaply by a Castle/Museum to be put on display. This would now almost certainly get funding. This film is presented by Mags Casey. A powerful Traveller activist from Limerick. This was funded by Traveller pride week and the Department of Children, disability, and equality. Enjoy. #TravellerPrideWeek ##wagons ##nomad #irishhistory #youtubenextup