In celebration of Traveller Pride 2021, we filmed an event in The Ground Floor Gallery at The Complex, in association with Blanchardstown Traveller Development Group.
As part of the event, Michael Collins performed a poetry reading. Michael’s poem, titled ‘A Dignified Life’, explores the topics of culture, identity and discrimination experienced by members of the Travelling community.
This project was supported by The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth.
‘A Dignified Life’
For generations, we were nomadic people, The Tinkers
We would have travelled the green coloured backroads of Ireland
From camp to camp, and town to town
We lived off the land, like the hound in search of the hare
We were the Tinsmiths, the wagon builders, and the horse dealers
They were hard times, but they were the good old days, the old folks would say
We want our day to have our say,
We want the freedom to be proud of who we are
With a sense of belonging,
We’re a dignified people, trying to live a dignified life
In the 1960’s, because of social welfare, Travellers were forced into big towns and cities
Pushed out to the suburbs, down the long dark backroad of a big empty field
With no water, no electricity, and no toilets, not even a place for the children to play
And all these different extended families pushed up on top of each other,
Up to their ankles in muck and sewage
We wanted our day to have our say,
We wanted the freedom to be proud of who we are
We’re a dignified people, trying to live a dignified life
Segregated classes, segregated playtime, segregated social welfare both North and South
We joined the courses, we went on the protests,
We wanted to let the Politicians know that we wanted answers,
About accommodation, education, our health,
And our children who are dying way too young
We wanted our day to have our say,
We wanted the freedom to be proud of who we are
With a sense of belonging
We’re a dignified people, trying to live a dignified life
For 30 years, blood sweat and tears,
We thought our day had finally come
We were recognised as an ethnic minority group in this country that we share
For our families, our sportspeople,
Our singers, our poets, and the activists that led the way
We wanted our day to have our say,
We wanted our freedom to be proud of who we are
With a sense of belonging
We’re a dignified people, trying to live a dignified life
We fought for our human rights,
For ourselves and for others
We lent our voice to those who thought they were lost in the wilderness
Cos’ we knew that many voices together would be stronger
And they would carry a message in the wind
That discrimination and racism would be tolerated no longer on these shores
We wanted our day to have our say,
We wanted our freedom to be proud of who we are
With a sense of belonging
We’re a dignified people, trying to live a dignified life
We wanted our day to have our say,
We wanted the freedom to be proud of who we are
With a sense of belonging
We’re a dignified people, and we will fight for the right for a dignified life