June 24, 2003
Parity of Esteem
Last week, a group of travellers drinking in a pub in Ballymiles, Co. Mayo decided to smash up the place after they were asked to leave at closing time. Their demolition job came after they had terrorised the 71 year old owner and his 69 year old wife, as well as help themselves to drink behind the bar.
The reaction of the local travellers' support group? Ah yes. The travellers had clearly been provoked, because they had refused entry to pubs in Westport earlier in the day...
Acts of violence are happening every day. If travellers are involved or suspected of being involved it takes on some intangible, almost primal extra meaning and importance.
Travellers rights have been denied in so many ways over generations which has a huge impact on their lives, health, status and attitudes towards settled people and the state - when people are denied their rights, it can lead them in turn to denying the rights of members of the other community , often in an indiscriminate way.
Talk about calling a spade a spade! On Morning Ireland during the week, the representative from Pavee Point was in full Peace Process-speak. He travelled to Mayo to express empathy and suggested a Reconciliation commission to settle difference between travellers and settled people. Funnily enough, he didn't suggest that the publican should look for compensation at the Equality Agency….
Another reason that this story made headlines was the fact that the publican, Paddy O'Neill, called the Gardai just before closing time and asked for help to clear the bar. Three Gardai arrived in two cars, had a quick look around and departed, with the excuse that they were needed elsewhere. By the time that (other) Gardai arrived, the damage was done. A number of 999 calls made by Paddy (and his son) went unanswered (it's not clear if no answer at all was received or the local station didn't take the call once it was relayed). It's doubtful that the travellers would have smashed the place up with the Gardai present - the crime could have been avoided if they hadn't been so eager to get back into their patrol cars. The story is well summarised in the Irish Emigrant here.