To add to Ibidem's discussion (found via Instapundit) on writings about the Irish Travellers, there is some serious research out there, but first, some recent events:

According to the London Times, Irish Times and Express Newspapers (August 1 - 4, 2002) there has been an ongoing battle between the publicans (pub owners) in Ireland and the Irish Travellers. In July, the publicans threatened to ban the Travellers from pubs across the country, in violation of Irish equality laws. The Travellers protested strongly. The threat was ultimately lifted. But from the news coverage in these newspapers, it appears there is strong prejudice against the Travellers in Ireland. Thomas McCann, Equality Officer of the Irish Travellers' Movement, charged in the August 2 Expess News that publicans had traditionally discriminated against travellers as part of "a history of racism in Irish society".

A leader of the largest pub owners union called the Travellers "terrorists" in the same August 2 edition of Express and said he would go to jail rather than honor the equality law which in his view amounted to "state-supported terrorism."

In the July 7 Sunday Tribune it is reported that:

"In 2001, there were 1,747 enquiries under the Equal Status Act 2000, 435 of which were in relation to the rights of travellers to take cases, representing the greatest majority of enquiries. Some 350 of these related to access to a pub or nightclub.

1. In McDonagh v The Castle Inn the publican admitted to operating a quota system whereby no more than five travellers were served at the one time. This quota did not exist for settled people.

2. In Bernard, Richard and Thomas Joyce v Liz Delaney's Pub, the publican admitted that a "judgement call" is usually made at the door to admit someone or not. If they are not happy about a person's "form" or "attitude", they say they use the "regulars only" excuse to refuse entry. At the hearing, the claimants produced a person who wasn't a member of the traveller community who claimed he had never before been in the pub, yet had no difficulty gaining access to the pub shortly after the claimants had been refused for the third time. The Equality Officer found on the basis of this that the publican did not enforce a "regulars only" policy but used this as an excuse for refusing access to those whom they didn't want on the premises. "

So how many travellers are there in Ireland and what do they do? Martin Collins, Assistant Director of the Pavee Point Travellers' Centre said in the August 1, 2002 Irish Times:

"There are 30,000 Irish Travellers living in Ireland. Travellers live in a range of accommodation including housing, group housing, halting sites and on the side of the road. They work in a variety of jobs, although most have to hide their Traveller identity to get a job or, indeed, keep it. "

"Some Travellers are self-employed, some work in the building trade, some work in the service industry, some study at 3rd level institutions while others are married and looking after their families. "

"Travellers are different from settled people because Travellers have a different ancestry, a different history, different traditions and customs, a different language and a different way of looking at the world."

As to accounts of the Travellers in America, we found one very sad item in the Fort Worth Star Telegram, December 31, 2000:

"Jan. 2 - Five young cousins are killed in an accident on Interstate 30. Authorities later determine that the victims, all 14 and younger, are children of the Irish Travellers, a nomadic ethnic group that speaks its own dialect and specializes in home improvement and business repair work. "

[all sources are available on lexis-nexis.]