There’s a song in the Mincéir tradition (made famous among settled audiences by Luke Kelly) called the 40 Foot Trailer which ends with the line

“There's a bylaw to say you maun be on your way

And another to say ye can't wander”

The implication is clear: the Traveller Community are damned if they do and damned if they don’t. Despite the visibility of the Travelling Community in Irish life, in political pamphlets and bad-faith documentaries, the fact remains that the wider community in Ireland remains unfamiliar with the detail and context behind many Mincéir traditions and the community’s contribution to preserving folklore.

In this week’s episode, Darach and Gearóidín are thrilled to be joined by Oein De Bhairduin, a writer and academic who celebrates and shares his Traveller heritage. His book, “Why The Moon Travels”, is a beautiful collection of Mincéir folklore and deserving of a wider audience. Oein tells Darach and Gearóidín about the right way to tell a story, the significance behind funeral traditions, the importance of female financial independence and invites us to consider that the wandering protagonists of Irish mythology might not be settled folk at all.

Do yourself a favour and buy a copy of his book: https://skeinpress.com/product/why-the-moon-travels-by-oein-debhairduin-copy/ 

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