List of Irish Travellers

This is a list of Irish Travellers in the arts, politics and sport.

Politicians and activists

• Laura Angela Collins, author of The Tinker Menace; The diary of an Irish Traveller, human rights activist, chairwomen to Justice 4 all women and children, attendee of the BRIT School ^[1]
• Mary Teresa Collins (born 1960s), Traveller human rights activist, a public survivor of the Irish state and church institutions and mother to the author Laura Angela Collins ^[2]

Josephine O’Driscoll Founder and CEO of Gypsy and Traveller Empowerment Hertfordshire (GATE Herts) which has operated for over a decade, (Josie) O’Driscoll has worked tirelessly to raise awareness and quality of life for Travellers.https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Josephine_O%E2%80%99Driscoll&action=edit&redlink=1 Recipient of the Presidential Distinguished Service Awards 2022https://president.ie/en/diary/details/president-hosts-distinguished-service-awards-ceremony-22

• Eileen Flynn (born 1990), Senator and first female Irish Traveller to serve in the Oireachtas ^[3]
• Nan Joyce (1940–2018), pioneering Irish Travellers' rights activist ^[4]
• Sindy Joyce, the first Irish Traveller to obtain a doctorate from an Irish university, human rights activist, Member of the Council of State ^[5]

Musicians

• Margaret Barry (1917–1989), singer ^[6]
• Felix Doran (died 1972), one of the most influential uilleann pipers in the history of Irish music, active during the first half of the 20th century ^[7]
• Johnny Doran (1908–1950), Irish Uilleann piper, brother of Felix Doran ^[8]
• Pecker Dunne (1933–2012), singer from County Wexford, Ireland. ^[9]
• Finbar Furey (born 1946), Irish folk musician. He is best known for songs such as "Campfire in the Dark" and "Sweet Sixteen". ^[10]
• Paddy Keenan (born 1950), piper, founding member of the Bothy Band in the 1970s and a key figure in the transition of Irish traditional music into the world of Celtic-dominated music ^[11]
• John Reilly (1926–1969), traditional Irish singer and source of songs ^[12]
• Mike Ward (born 1990), English singer and runner up/finalist from The Voice UK . He has Irish Traveller roots on his father's side and is also distant cousins with Shayne Ward. ^[13]
• Shayne Ward (born 1984), English singer and former winner of X Factor , whose parents are Irish Travellers who settled in England ^[14]

Athletes

• Francie Barrett (born 1972) represented Ireland at the Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia in 1996. ^[15]
• Hughie Fury (born 1994), professional boxer from Greater Manchester who won the British heavyweight title ^[16]
• Tyson Fury (born 1988), professional boxer based in Morecambe, England and WBC heavyweight champion ^[15]
• Michael Gomez (born 1977), professional boxer based in Manchester, England, was born to an Irish Traveller family in County Longford ^[17]
• Bartley Gorman (1944–2002), self declared "king" of the gypsies and undefeated bareknuckle boxing champion ^[18]
• Nathan Gorman (born 1996), professional boxer from Cheshire who fought for the British Heavyweight title ^[19]
• Andy Lee (born 1984), former WBO Middleweight world champion ^[20]
• John Joe Nevin (born 1988), boxer, Irish International, two-time Olympian, and a London 2012 silver medalist ^[15]
• John O'Donnell (born 1985), boxer ^[20]

Cinema, television, theatre

• Michael Collins, actor ( King of the Travellers ) ^[21]
• Sean Connery (1930–2020), Scottish actor. He was the first actor to portray fictional British secret agent James in seven Bond films. Research revealed his paternal great-grandparents were Irish Travellers from County Wexford, Ireland. ^[22]
• John Connors (born 1990), actor, screen writer, documentary film-maker and human rights activist ( Love/Hate ) ^[23]
• Patrick "Paddy" Doherty (born 1959), former bare-knuckle boxer. He is best known as one of the interviewed Irish Travelers in My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding and the winner of Celebrity Big Brother 2011 . ^[24]
• Hughie Maughan, runner-up of Big Brother 17 , contestant on the Irish Dancing with the Stars ^[25] he also partook in First dates ireland
• Rosaleen McDonagh, playwright ^[26]

References

1. "Awards ceremony celebrates achievements and contributions made by Travellers". RTE.ie. 30 May 2019. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
2. "Daughter begs for return of mother's body – buried in mass grave after 27 years in Magdalene asylum". mirror.co.uk. 16 July 2015. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
3. "Eileen Flynn: Irish Traveller makes history by becoming a senator". BBC News. 29 June 2020. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
4. "Traveller Activist Nan Joyce". RTÉ Archives. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
5. "Sindy Joyce and Sinead Burke appointed to Council of State by President Michael D Higgins". Extra.ie. 16 April 2019. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
6. Irwin, Colin (18 January 2017). "Margaret Barry: wild Irish woman of the British folk scene". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 11 November 2020.
7. david. "Felix Doran – The Last Of The Travelling Pipers". Topic Records. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
8. "Johnny Doran". John Kelly Capel Street. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
9. "Ballad Biographies of Irish Folk Singers". Iol.ie. 7 January 2010.
10. "Finbar Furey wins The Hit". rte.ie. 31 August 2013.
11. "About Paddy". PaddyKeenan.com. 2002. Archived from the original on 18 April 2017. Retrieved 16 July 2010.
12. Reilly, John; Munnelly, Tom; Galvin, Rónán; Galvin, Rónán (26 October 1971), [False Lankum, sung by John Reilly, a Traveller, who was camped at Cloongrehan, Cootehall, County Roscommon], Cloongrehan, Cootehall, County Roscommon., retrieved 12 November 2020
13. Fitzpatrick, Katie (23 February 2015). "@BBCTheVoiceUK star @MikeWardUK to become a dad". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
14. Fitzpatrick, Katie (12 January 2020). "Music, marriage and baby plans – Shayne Ward's 2020". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
15. "BoxRec". boxrec.com. Retrieved 5 December 2019.
16. "Boxing – Tonight's stop for the Hughie Fury international express". 22 December 2015. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
17. "Back on track – Manchester Evening News". archive.vn. 21 April 2013. Archived from the original on 21 April 2013. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
18. "Eyewitness: Last great bare-knuckle champion is laid to rest". The Independent. 27 January 2002. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
19. "Dubois beats Gorman to win British title". BBC Sport. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
20. "Irish middleweight Andy Lee teams up with English trainer Adam Booth". IrishCentral.com. 24 November 2012. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
21. "TheJournal.ie". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 5 December 2019.
22. "Connery's Wexford roots are revealed". independent. December 2005. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
23. "'I have a love-hate relationship with acting' – John Connors". independent. 26 February 2020. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
24. "'Celebrity Big Brother' star Paddy Doherty says he 'considered suicide' over pain of prostate cancer". uk.news.yahoo.com. 11 March 2019. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
25. McGowan, Sharon (20 October 2017). "Hughie Maughan to launch his own fake tan after Dancing With The Stars disaster". Irish Mirror. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
26. "Rosaleen McDonagh – First Traveller elected to Aosdána Pavee Point". 5 May 2017. Retrieved 16 November 2020.