Stories from the Edge - Volunteer Now

story of how hard it is to build confidence. Michael points out that over the last Christmas period nine people were stabbedto death in Belfast. The media interest in the slaughter rarely went beyond reportage. In a society often accused of beingunruffled by promiscuous violence such alleged insensitivity was not missed by Michael Mongan. He is adamant that if aTraveller was involved in any of the attacks there would be a huge cry for justice and for law and order.He said ignorance of Traveller society is overbearing. "They see one Traveller driving a jeep and believe all Travellers haveexpensive jeeps. A young Traveller gets involved in a drunken brawl and without warning all Travellers are drunken streetfighters.” The reality is that Traveller population and society is broad and diverse. It has its class structure that mirrorsbourgeois society with a few on top and the majority a brave few rungs lower down the social ladder.The Travellers’ traditional sites are mostly gone. Travellers are forced to camp on waste ground. The Monagh by-pass sitewas illegally set up after the Travellers were forced to leave Poleglass and the Markets at the behest of “a well to do SDLPman looking for votes,” Michael claims. He remembers the ‘granny protest’ of women, children and dozens of babies inprams. It got nasty and dangerous. The Travellers had no choice but to move on. Then there were the petrol bombingincidents in Craigavon and other areas which almost cost the lives of Traveller women and children. Ironically there wereno demonstrations lead in protest to the murder bids.During the 1970s and 1980s councils“other little boys and girlswho will not know him asa gypsy child but asStephen their friend”employed the ‘boulder policy’blocking access to camping sites. OnIndustrial Development Board land atSilverwood in Craigavon workmentransported in tons of earth to raisethree foot embankments just to keepa few families off idle land. In the lastfew years thanks to the work ofTraveller support groups the Councilshave realised that Travellers are notgoing away. Many have begun todeliver portaloo toilets. However, as Michael Mongan points out few people across Northern Ireland in the year 2001 haveoutside toilets.His own portcabin is set among two others which form his extended family. Michael is angry that settled people think theyare dirty. "Most have never seen the inside of our caravans, they have only seen the squalor we are forced to live in," headds. The dirt of the Monagh by-pass site accumulates because settled people often fly tip dirt during the night. "If welived in some of the big estates the council would be sending around street cleaners and collect the bins. But we don’t livethere and are left to fend for ourselves,” he said.The stereotyping of Travellers has taken a dangerous twist just after Christmas 2000. Armed maniacs drew up along sidethe site and discharged a handgun. The police arrived and took away the flattened slugs. The murder bid was not reported