Traveller discrimination in Kildare 'appalling', says local group
Petra Daly of Kildare Traveller Action Photo: Aisling Hyland
KILDARE Traveller Action (KTA), has worked to achieve greater equality and social justice for Travellers in the county for over 25 years. The organisation works to help educate people on Traveller culture and dismantle discriminatory stereotypes and views long-held by the public, while also directly supporting the Traveller community in anyway they can.
One way KTA does this is by standing against Traveller discrimination and racism in Kildare, which according to the organisation, happens every day.
The organisation has rallied in response to discriminatory actions taken by local Newbridge businesses in June of this year after the tragic death of Jerry Maloney – a traveller man who died in a car crash.
It is alleged that a number of premises closed their doors on the day of the man’s funeral in an act of mourning for the man. However, Petra Daly, Manager of Kildare Traveller Action, told the that nearly all bars and restaurants in Newbridge closed their doors on the day in discrimination:
“There were only two restaurants that were available to Travellers while they were grieving. Pretty much all the others closed their doors,” she said.
In a report done by a coalition of Traveller and Roma organisations in Ireland in 2024 it was found that travellers are over 22 times more likely than White Irish people to report discrimination in shops, pubs and restaurants.
Ms Daly explained that instances like this are really common in the county.
“We get reports every day of people being refused service. Somebody told me just last week they were refused service in a coffee shop. Another person was followed around a department store and accused of stealing even after showing their receipt. No apology was issued. These assumptions are made the whole time.”
Petra also referenced past incidents where Travellers have reported weddings being cancelled on the day of the event and being refused entry to concerts and events they had tickets for.
“It’s not good enough,” said Petra.
“The discrimination towards Travellers is systemic. It's ongoing and has never ceased. We need to do something about it and call it out,” she said.
Petra explained the massive negative effects discriminatory acts have on the community:
“The suicide rate is seven times higher than it is for the settler population. A lot of that is from institutional racism and the way people are treated.”
KFA is committed to addressing the problem and works one-one with the travelling community, with representatives from the community working at the organisation.
The organisation also wants to bring the settled community along with them through outreach and education, and appeals to any business, group or organisation that would be interested in setting up cultural awareness training with them to get in touch.
Petra said: “We want to support people to develop an understanding about the community and the culture.”
The organisation runs programmes in Kildare schools, educating children on the reality of Traveller culture and challenging “attitudes and misinformation.”
They organise Traveller-led workshops that are interactive and tailored to the specific needs of the audience.
