First ever International Irish Traveller Day set for 25th July – say organisers

Every year on the Sunday before or on St Patrick’s Day on the 17th March, The London Saint Patrick's Day parade and festival takes place, with the parade starting at midday and festivities winding down around 6pm in Trafalgar Square. 

And for every London St Patrick’s Day Parade, a contingent of Irish Travellers from the London boroughs and surrounding counties typically go along to join in the fun.

This year, as well as having fun and taking pride in their Irish Roots, one group of Travellers where there to spread a message about a very important day that will be taking place later in the summer on the 25th July  – The first ever annual International Irish Traveller Day.

The Travellers’ Times spoke to Mena Mongan - one of the organisers of this ground-breaking event.

“Our aim to create an International Irish Traveller Day,” said Mena – who lives in the London Borough of Hackney and works for the charity London Gypsies and Travellers.

“We want to celebrate our rich heritage and culture and history of Irish Travellers in Britain.”

The idea first came about in a conversation between Mena and Josie O’Driscoll – who is the Irish Traveller Chief Executive Officer of GATE Herts, a Gypsy, Roma, Traveller charity based in Hertfordshire.

Mena and Josie then set up a steering group of Irish Traveller activists, based in both the UK and the Republic of Ireland, who have been meeting for nearly two years to make the idea become a reality.

After consultations at Gypsy and Traveller cultural events like Appleby Fair, meetings with Irish Traveller charities based in the Republic of Ireland, followed by an online voting poll – the date was finally decided on earlier this year. 

Not content with creating an International Irish Traveller Day, the organising group also came up with an Irish Traveller flag to go with the event!

“We haven’t come up with what we are going to do on the day yet,” said Mena, adding that they were meeting next week to get the ball rolling.

“We want to hold an event in every city that has an Irish Traveller organisation or community.”
Good luck with the first ever International Irish Traveller Day – from all at the Travellers’ Times – and be sure to mark 25th July in your diary folks!

TT News

(All photographs courtesy of International Irish Traveller Day)

Follow International Irish Traveller Day Facebook group for further updates