Ba mhaith le Misneach ár ndlúthpháirtíocht mhacánta a léiriú lenár gcomrádaí sa Lucht Siúil i ndiaidh an choirloiscthe lofa ar an gCarn Mór, Co. na Gaillimhe, an tseachtain seo caite.

Ní hamháin gur fhág an t-ionsaí teaghlach gan dídean, ach léirigh sé cé chomh nimhneach is atá an fuath frith-Mhincéir go fóill sa tír seo.

Tá stair fhada ghránna ag an bhfuath céanna i gContae na Gaillimhe. In 1968 scaoileadh urchar i dtreo grúpa Mincéirí i Rathún. Ag an am bhí sé beartaithe ag Corparáid na Gaillimhe suíomh láithreáin stad a thógáil ar imeall na cathrach. Rinne an pobal áitiúil agóid chun stop a chur leis an tógáil.

In áit seasamh leis an Lucht Siúil, thacaigh an comhairleoir Micheal Mac Gabhann leis na biogóidí, ag maíomh gur “núis” a bhí sna Mincéirí a rinneadh ionsaí orthu

Os cionn leathchéad bliain níos déanaí tá an Lucht Siúil fós ag fulaingt an chiníochais chéanna sa phobal. Agus ar nós 1968, tá ionadaithe tofa na comhairle cathrach ina measc siúd atá ag cur leis an bhfuath céanna.

I Meitheamh na bliana seo bhí feachtas rathúil láidir ann chun cinntiú nach dtoghfaí an comhairleoir neamhspleách Noel Larkin mar mhaor na cathrach.

Ghlaoigh an comhairleoir claonta é seo “Zulus” ar ghrúpa den Lucht Siúil agus a dúirt go “tugtar gach deis dóibh a bheith lonnaithe agus a imeascadh leis sa tsochaí”, ach roghnaíonn siad “é seo a dhiúltú”.

Dúradh é seo sa bhliain 2020, i “Príomhchathair Chultúir na hEorpa”.

Tá os cionn €25 milliún caite ag an stát ar Ghaillimh 2020 go dtí seo. Is mór an bhearna idir an caiteachas sin agus an méid suarach de €229,493 a caitheadh ar thithíocht don Lucht Siúil thar sé bliana, idir 2013 agus 2019, gan oiread is pingin rua caite i 2013, 2016, ná i 2018.

Léiríonn an bhearna ollmhór idir an dá mhéad seo a dhoicheallaí atá an rialtas faoi thacú leis an Lucht Siúil.

Toradh ar an easpa suime sin is ea an borradh atá ag teacht faoin meon frith-Mhincéarach agus is é an meon aineolach claonta seo is cúis leis an ionsaí gránna seo. 

Cuimhnímis, chomh maith, go bhfuil an t-ionsaí seo tar éis tarlú  an samhradh seo agus an-bhorradh ag teacht faoi pháirtithe atá i bhfad amach ar an eite dheis agus faoi ghrúpaí antoisceacha i stát an Sé Chontae Fhichead.

Tar éis na hagóide in Uachtar Ard i gcoinne an Ionaid Soláthar Díreach an bhliain seo caite agus an t-ionsaí seo i mbliana, is cinnte nach bhfuil aon chineál gradaim don chultúr tuilte ag Gaillimh.

Caithfimid mar phobal ar fud fad na tíre teacht le chéile i gcoinne an chiníochais agus seasamh leis an Lucht Siúil agus le grúpaí imeallaithe eile

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Galway 2020 – The capital of culture or the capital of racism?

Misneach wish to extend our total solidarity to our comrades in the Travelling community after the disgraceful arson attack in Carnmore, County Galway, last week.

Not only did the attack leave a family homeless, but it demonstrated how intense anti-Traveller hatred remains in this country today.

There is a long and sordid history of anti-Traveller sentiment in County Galway. In 1968 a gun was fired at a group of Mincéirs in Rahoon. At the time, Galway Corporation sought to build a halting site on the edge of the city. The local community organised a protest to resist construction of the site.

Instead of standing with the Travellers, local councillor, Micheal Mac Gabhann sided with the bigots, branding the Mincéirs who had been attacked a “nuisance”.

Over fifty years later and the Travelling community are still suffering the same racism in the community. And, like 1968, the elected representatives of the city council are among those contributing to this hatred.

In June a strong and, ultimately successful, campaign was mounted against councillor Noel Larkin to stop him being elected mayor of Galway.

This blinkered councillor called a group of Travellers “Zulus” and has stated that “they have been given every opportunity to locate and assimilate into society” but that the choose to “reject this”.

This was said in 2020, in the so-called “Cultural Capital of Europe”.

The state has spent over €25 million on Galway 2020 up to now. This stands in stark contrast to the paltry expenditure of €229,493 that has been spent on housing for the Travelling community over six years, between 2013 and 2019, with not a cent being spent in 2013, 2016 or 2018.

As a result of this marginalisation there has been a marked increase in anti-Mincéir and ignorant sentiment which has, in turn, led to this attack.

The gulf in expenditure demonstrates clearly the lack of interest the state has in properly supporting the Travelling community.

This persistent marginalization by the state has fed the anti-Traveller sentiment among the population and has assisted in creating the context for this latest attack.

It must be noted too, that this attack has occurred against the backdrop of a rise in far-right activity in the Twenty-Six Counties over the summer.

Following the protest against a Direct Provision Center in Oughterard last year, and, now, this latest attack against Travellers it is clear that Galway does not deserve its title of cultural capital.

As a country we must stand together against racism and these attacks on Travellers and other marginalized groups.