I'm completely ignorant about Irish gypsies. Are they from Ireland or did they immigrate from Europe? I guess they live in their own communities? What profession do they as a culture get into? Are they Christians? Why are people from Ireland always doing bare knuckle fights in the streets? Between the drinking and the fighting does anyone have a job?
Irish Travellers are a distinct Irish ethnic minority. If you take away one thing from this please let it be that Irish Travellers ARE NOT the same as the majority of Irish people (Gaels), both from a cultural and genetic standpoint. To answer some of your questions:
- There are originally from Ireland but when they split off and adopted their own settlements remain unknown (they never kept any written records).
- They do live in their own communities, usually in encampments or "sites". These are temporary camps where they stay for a period of time before moving off to somewhere else. These areas are strictly no go zones for non-travellers. (However travellers frequently enter settled communities and feel entitled to do so).
- They generally don't work (most claim state benefits i.e. taxpayers money). They are however involved in a number of money making ventures such as construction, landscaping, metal working, scrappage etc. Of course no tax is ever paid on any profits made from such business. They are also well known scam artists e.g. using poor materials, methods etc when performing construction. Theft, burglary and fraud are also commonly associated with them.
- They are usually Catholics (but have an unusual adherence and relationship with religion)
- People from Ireland are not always bareknuckle fighting in the street; however Travellers traditionally settled disputes through bouts of bareknuckle fighting.
- Irish people do drink a lot but most are decent working folk. Like I said, Irish Travellers are distinct from the majority of the Irish population and generally do not work, pay taxes or abide by common law.
Hope this helps.
