Lucy Investigates is a celebration of the women of Ireland’s Travelling Community.
Halfway through episode three of Virgin Media’s Lucy Investigates, Lucy Kennedy meets a young Traveller school-girl.
“I wouldn’t go around telling everyone I’m a Traveller,” she says. “I want to. But I’ve gotten bullied a few times.”
Her mother explains that they changed schools when others began targeting her with racist language and slurs.
Later on in the programme, Lucy meets a group of aspiring beauty technicians from the Traveller Community. Despite being passionate and qualified in their field, they’ve been turned away from jobs after prospective employers read their surnames on the applications.
These two instances are among the most staggering moments in the episode, which is a celebration of the women that make up the Travelling Community in Ireland.
“That broke my heart,” Lucy tells Her, recalling her conversation with the child. “It made me feel quite sick. If anyone for even a split second questioned my child, or made them feel bad, I would go absolutely bonkers. I despise the idea of a child hiding who she is because she’s afraid of judgement. In this day and age, that still exists, and shame on the families who are still bringing up their children to have that attitude towards Travellers. I just think it’s disgusting.”
Lucy’s profiled Traveller men before – Hughie Maughan, Jon Connors – but noticed that we tend to hear less perspectives from women in the community. This, coupled with the discrimination and racism the Traveller community constantly receive, attracted Lucy to the project in the first place.
“It does annoy me when Travellers constantly get bad press. If a Traveller behaves badly it makes the papers, if a settled person behaves badly nobody flinches. It’s very one-sided. I was delighted to be part of this documentary and to be celebrating female Travellers, because my God, they deserve it.”
Lucy Investigates is a celebration of Traveller women – both the trailblazers, and the ordinary women, who, Lucy describes as the “custodians” of their culture. The show pays tribute to activist Nan Joyce who was the first member of the Travelling Community to stand for election in Ireland. Lucy meets with Nan’s sister Chrissy to discuss her legacy. Later, she catches up with Sally and Eileen Flynn, who made headlines for completing their Leaving Cert in 2008. Now, Sally empowers Travellers to stay in education, while Eileen made history in 2020 by becoming the first Traveller to serve in the Oireachtas after her appointment to the Seanad.
Along the way, Lucy meets with families, groups of girlfriends and even joins a community group on their pilgrimage to Knock and their ascent of Croagh Patrick. Her most cherished memory from the experience was meeting the children of the community.
“It turned into a little Ireland’s Got Talent,” Lucy says, describing her visit to family care worker Bridget Connors’ home. There, she was welcomed with hugs and serenaded by her grandchildren. “They were all sitting in their Sunday best, ready to perform. They were absolutely divine. We went round the room, and they all said their names and their party pieces. That, honest to God was my favourite thing. I could have stayed in that room with them all day. So beautiful. The innocence of a child standing up and singing their heart out? I just love it.”
Lucy Investigates continues tonight at 9pm on Virgin Media One.
