PUBLISHED 07.09.2023
READING TIME 4 Min

The following analysis is by David Friel, Training and Development Officer at Think Equality Project and member of the Irish Traveller Community.

Donegal, with its picturesque landscapes, has not been immune to far-right ideologies or actions. In 2013, the county became the focal point of a particularly heinous act when a house purchased for a Traveller family was targeted with arson. This act was not just a mere incident but representative of hatred that had found a voice in local discourse. Disturbingly, a former councillor’s commentary on the property was: “You wouldn’t want it beside you nor I wouldn’t want it beside me.” Even more alarming was the former mayor’s proclamation that Travellers “could be sent to Spike Island for all I care.” Far-right activists and sympathisers have often protested against establishing or expanding halting sites and housing for Travellers. They justify their opposition with claims about crime rates, property value decline or alleged unsanitary conditions. The current anti-refugee and asylum protests have been borne out of the same rhetorical, tactical and ideological energy that anti-Traveller protests have seen for decades. 

Social media and certain websites have become hotspots for far-right narratives, with the Traveller community frequently targeted by derogatory stereotypes and misinformation. Far-right ideologies, often cloaked in a facade of nationalism, misogyny, racism and transphobia have infiltrated various spheres of Irish society. All of which Travellers are impacted by. We are a diverse community and these dangerous tropes have had an adverse impact. In Donegal, the Far Right attempts to weave a web of fear that tightly encircles marginalised groups. Martin Luther King Jr.’s profound words resonate now more than ever, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere”. The actions and rhetoric of the Far Right have fuelled discrimination, prejudice and xenophobia, exacerbating the struggles of not only Travellers but all marginalised groups. In the Irish context, these forms of hate don’t exist in isolation. They intertwine and overlap creating a deeply unsettling atmosphere where hostility toward one community inadvertently nurtures hostility toward all.

Over the years, Ireland has seen latent right-wing tendencies manifest sporadically through threads of aggressive nationalism, ethnocentrism, transphobia, homophobia and racism. While the far right’s national influence has recently been more pronounced, it is essential to acknowledge that the Traveller community in Ireland has long borne the brunt of their exclusionary ideologies of nationalism mixed with fascism.  The comforting but ultimately misguided belief that the far-right wouldn’t gain traction in Ireland has now been debunked. Libraries, long bastions of activism and unity, are currently under siege by the Far Right. Similarly, Pride events that are manifestations of LGBTQI+ empowerment and resistance are being targeted. But these aren’t just spaces or events; they’re lifelines for communities that have long battled for visibility and acceptance. As these spaces come under siege, uniting against hate through collectivity, solidarity and unity is essential.

The chants we now hear in Donegal, like “get them out” in local protests targeting people seeking asylum and refuge, mirror the sentiments Travellers in Donegal have confronted for decades. This “not in my backyard” mindset is intensified by harmful stereotypes portraying Travellers as “dirty”, “unhygienic”, “violent” and “thieves”. These stereotypes have been routinely weaponised in ‘community consultations’ that are often called upon by Far Right agitators in recent times concerning people seeking asylum and refuge. For Travellers, community consultations acted as a breeding ground for racism that spewed the message of  “us” versus “them”. This messaging is imbued with fear and distrust to create a moral panic. Such platforms lead to groupthink that ultimately results in conflict and division. It perpetuates the notion of a singular and unified identity denying the nation’s inherent diversity. 

 

Travellers in Donegal continue to stand in solidarity and advocate. Advocate for unity, justice, human rights and equality. This social movement began in Donegal in 1995 with the establishment of the Donegal Travellers Project. Central to this movement is radical community development and a human rights approach which embodies the principles of collectivity, community empowerment, social justice and sustainable development. These principles create a praxis designed explicitly to inoculate the hate of the Far Right. The challenges the Far Right pose are not insurmountable, especially when met with the collective strength of united communities. We must continue to remember the words of Audre Lorde in our collective drive towards meaningful equality, inclusion and diversity in Irish society, “It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognise, accept and celebrate those differences”. 

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