Irish Travellers, often mistakenly called "Gypsies," are a distinct ethnic minority group indigenous to Ireland, not genetically related to Romani people, with origins tracing back to Irish people who diverged from the settled population centuries ago, becoming their own recognized ethnicity with unique culture and language. While some individuals might have mixed heritage, the broader Irish Traveller community is of Irish extraction, officially recognized as a minority in Ireland and Northern Ireland, with their own traditions, language (Cant/Shelta), and history.
Genetic analysis has shown Irish Travellers to be of Irish extraction, and that they likely diverged from the settled Irish population in the 1600s, probably during the time of the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland. Centuries of cultural isolation have led Travellers to become genetically distinct from the settled Irish.
In the UK, it is common in data collections to differentiate between: Gypsies (including English Gypsies, Scottish Gypsies or Travellers, Welsh Gypsies and other Romany people) Irish Travellers (who have specific Irish roots) Roma, understood to be more recent migrants from Central and Eastern Europe.
So who are these people we call Travellers? They used to live mostly in caravans or mobile homes in which they travelled all over the country or into England. They have Irish surnames – Ward, Connors, Carty, O'Brien, Cash, Coffey, Furey, MacDonagh, Mohan.
Today there are 31,000 Travellers in Ireland (making up 0.7% of the national population). 15,000 Irish Travellers also live in Britain and an additional 10,000 Travellers of Irish descent live in the US. Your browser can't play this video.
Religion. Irish travellers are usually catholic and a large proportion of Irish Travellers would Identify as Christian or Catholic. Other Travellers if they are religious will usually share the religion of the area they live. There is no set Traveller religion, and Travellers have a variety of spiritual beliefs.
Peaky Blinders season 6 explores the Shelby family's Irish-Romani Gypsy heritage, but doesn't fully explain the distinct traditions of the Roma people.
Companies like Sequencing.com offer convenient DNA testing kits that can tell you exactly what ethnicities you are whether you're Hungarian Roma, European Roma or English Roma. Today's tests are incredibly precise and can denote specific locations regarding places of origin, such as Eastern Europe or Western Europe.
Romani (Gypsy), Roma and Irish Traveller people belong to minority ethnic groups that have contributed to British society for centuries. Their distinctive way of life and traditions manifest themselves in nomadism, the centrality of their extended family, unique languages and entrepreneurial economy.
The oldest recorded surname in Ireland is generally considered to be Ó Cléirigh (O'Clery/Cleary), appearing as early as the 10th century with records of Lord Tigherneach Ua Cleirigh in 916 AD, making it one of Europe's earliest documented surnames, originating from a learned family of clerics or scholars in Connacht. Other very ancient names include Brennan, Cahill, Kennedy, and O'Brien, with some surnames like O'Brien, O'Sullivan, and O'Neill becoming very prominent later.
Irish people derive most of their ancestry from Western Steppe Herders who originally came from the Pontic–Caspian steppe and arrived in western Europe during the early Bronze Age.
Pikey (/ˈpaɪkiː/; also spelled pikie, pykie) is a derogatory slang term referring to Gypsy, Roma and Traveller people. It is used mainly in the United Kingdom and in Ireland to refer to people who belong to groups which had a traditional travelling lifestyle.
We heard that in Irish Traveller communities, it is important to have a tan because it makes you look healthier and therefore happier. We heard that respondents often saw members of their social networks checking in to tanning salons on Facebook. This was considered a sign of health, happiness and wealth.
White. A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa. It includes people who indicate their race as "White" or report entries such as Irish, German, Italian, Lebanese, Near Easterner, Arab, or Polish. Black or African American.
As can be seen in all Gypsies of the world, Gypsies in Turkey usually marry their relatives at a young age since marrying a non-Gypsy means automatic extradition from the Gypsy community (Sutherland, 1990). Therefore, they believe that they can protect their communal life through endogamy.
Physical Appearance. Another common sign of Irish ancestry is the red hair, pale blue eyes, and pale complexion these genes are known to depict. So, if you have the farmer's tan, freckles, or some thick, curly red hair covering your feet, it's time to check your DNA ethnic calculator.
However, the Travellers are still genetically distinct from other Irish populations, which could reflect some external gene flow and/or the action of genetic drift in a small group that was descended from a small number of founders.
The Romany and Traveller Family History Society website includes lists of surnames that frequently occur in the Gypsy and Traveller community. Gypsy surnames which occur in Surrey include Cooper, Matthews, Ayres, Smith, Green, Taylor, Williams, Brazil, Shepherd, Beaney, Chapman and Scott among others.
RH phenotypes: Rh positive--89.54%, Rh negative--10.46%; Rh - (D)--0.6766, Rh (d) 0.3234. The frequencies are contrasted with those of other inhabitants, non-Roms of East Slovakia.
The term 'Gypsies and Travellers' is difficult to define as it does not constitute a single, homogenous group, but encompasses a range of groups with different histories, cultures and beliefs including: Romany Gypsies, Welsh Gypsies, Scottish Gypsy Travellers and Irish Travellers.
The Boswells were for centuries one of England's largest and most important Gypsy families. The Boswell clan were a large extended family of Travellers, and in old Nottinghamshire dialect the word bos'll was used as a term for Travellers and Roma in general.
True Romany Gypsies were regarded as being of the pure “black blood” and the word “black” was regularly used as a compliment, particularly in people's names, meaning a gypsy of the purest type.
The Shelby family from the show Peaky Blinders has suffered many losses, with key members like John, Polly, Michael, Grace, and Arthur Sr. deceased by the series' end, but core surviving members include Tommy Shelby, Arthur Shelby, Ada Thorne, and younger relatives like Duke Shelby, with the final season ending ambiguously for Tommy but confirming many deaths. It's important to note the Shelbys are fictional, so their "aliveness" is within the show's narrative.