Anthropologists George and Sharon Gmelch have been studying the quasi-nomadic people known as Travellers since their fieldwork in the early 1970s, when they lived among Travellers and went on the road in their own horse-drawn wagon. In 2011 they returned to seek out families they had known decades before—shadowed by a film crew and taking with them hundreds of old photographs showing the Travellers' former way of life. Many of these images are included in this book, alongside more recent photos and compelling personal narratives that reveal how Traveller lives have changed now that they have left nomadism behind.

Helleiner's study documents anti-Traveller racism in Ireland and explores the ongoing realities of Traveller life as well as the production and reproduction of contemporary Traveller collective identity and culture.

This book contains historical accounts of the Irish American Travellers as seen through their eyes and the eyes of their ancestors. It is a glimpse into a people that have isolated themselves from conventional America. It uses facts and reality to discredit lies and propaganda. If you are ready for the truth, open your mind, and turn the page.

Thrilling and romantic, Once a Gypsy starts a brand new series from award-winning author Danica Winters. “A haunting and fresh voice in paranormal romance. Be prepared for Danica Winters to ensnare you in her dark and seductive world.”—Cecy Robson, author of the Weird Girls series and 2016 Double-Nominated RITA® Finalist Even for a clairvoyant, the future is never a sure thing. Helena has always struggled to fit in with her Irish Traveller family. It’s not just her opposition to getting married or her determination to attend university; Helena also has one talent that sets her apart from the rest of her clan—the gift of the Forshaw, the ability to see the future. Graham is the groundskeeper at a manor in Adare, Ireland. Though the estate appears idyllic, it holds dark secrets, and despite his own supernatural gifts, Graham can’t solve Adare Manor’s problems by himself. Desperate for help, Graham seeks out a last resort: Helena, whose skills are far greater than even she knows. When he promises to teach her to control her powers, Helena resists, afraid both of the damage her abilities might do and her increasing attraction to the handsome groundskeeper. Her entire way of life is at risk: Any involvement, especially romantic, with non-Travellers like Graham is forbidden. But Helena’s future is anything but certain, and fate has other plans for her family, her powers, and her relationship with Graham.

Margaret Mead Award finalist! Nan Donohoe was an Irish Travelling woman, one of Ireland’s indigenous gypsies or “tinkers.” Traditionally, they traveled the countryside making and repairing tinware, sweeping chimneys, selling small household wares, and doing odd-job work. Over time, they came to live on the roadside in trailers and in government-built camps. Told largely in her own voice, Nan’s saga begins in 1919 with her birth in a tent in the Irish Midlands; it follows her life in Ireland and England, in countryside and city slums, through adversity and adventure. Gmelch brings to her task not only the resources of anthropology, but the skill of a sensitive writer and a warmth that allows her to see Nan as a person, not a subject. What emerges is a human story, filled with cruelty and compassion, sorrow and humor, bad luck and good.

Living along country lanes in tents and barrel-top wagons, Travellers have for centuries been a people apart from Irish society. Photographer Mathias Oppersdorff first encountered them twenty-eight years ago in County Kerry at Puck Fair. His photographs—often stark and disturbing, yet always humane—offer a profound look at people at the crossroads of their existence. Although the Travellers themselves now concede that education and settling down are important factors for a good future, the pull of tradition is strong; many Travellers miss the open road and are ill at ease leaving a life that, for centuries, has been uniquely theirs. Oppersdorff's photographs take us through some of the most turbulent times for the Travellers. Although in years past they were defined by their nomadism, more recently many have chosen to live in housing projects and trailer parks, partially due to government-sponsored subsidies. As a result, traditional roadside tent-camps are a thing of the past. The photographer states that the themes revolving around the human condition are his forte. When some of his earlier photographs of the Travellers first appeared in a one-man show in New York City, A. D. Coleman wrote in The New York Times, "[Oppersdorff] is an honest and gutty photographer with much to say."

This book addresses the culture, history, ethnicity, language and nomadism of the Irish Travellers, who may be compared to the Gypsies of other nations.