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Traveller culture and history to be celebrated at University College Cork
- Traveller Living History exhibition will celebrate honour Traveller culture, heritage and identity.
- A restored Barrel-top wagon, storytelling, music by Steo Wall and Alen MacWeeney’s photography to feature as part of living history event.
- The event invites members of the public to engage directly with Traveller culture and lived experience through demonstrations, workshops, and talks
Traveller culture, history and identity will be celebrated at the Traveller Living History exhibition at University College Cork (UCC) on Thursday, 23 April. Across exhibitions, community talks and cultural awareness training, the event will address the ongoing barriers, and anti-Traveller racism, that continue to affect Traveller communities.
Hosted by Access UCC as part of the Lifelong Learning Festival, the event is free and open to all. It brings together Traveller organisations, members of the public and school groups to engage directly with Traveller voices and lived experience, challenge misconceptions, and explore Traveller identity through exhibitions, demonstrations, and talks
Gillian Butler, Access UCC and event organiser, said: “Irish Travellers continue to face significant inequalities, particularly in education, and that reality cannot be addressed without greater understanding. This event is about creating a space where people can engage directly with Traveller culture, history and lived experience in a way that is open, respectful and grounded in real conversation. It is an opportunity for anyone, students, teachers and the wider public, to learn something new, and take part in a conversation that is both necessary and overdue.”
Traveller primary and secondary school students will attend the event as part of a dedicated UCC outreach programme aimed at strengthening early engagement with higher education. Students will visit the exhibition, attend a session on Traveller history, and participate in workshops including flower making and poster design.
Highlights include:
- Traveller Living History Exhibition (10am–4pm, The Hub): A live cultural installation featuring a barrel-top wagon, storytelling, a traditional fireside setting, tinsmith demonstrations, homemade bread sampling, and paper-flower making demonstrations.
- Alen MacWeeney Photographic Archive (10am–4pm, The Atrium, The Hub): An exhibition from UCC Library presenting MacWeeney’s photography of Traveller life, alongside material examining the impact of state policy, including the 1963 Commission on Itinerancy, on Traveller culture and identity.
- Traveller Organisations Showcase (10am–1pm): Traveller Visibility Group (TVG) and Travellers of North Cork (TNC) will showcase their work across the wider community to promote inclusion, awareness, and advocacy.
- Art and Advocacy Exhibition (10am–4pm, The Atrium, The Hub): A Glucksman exhibition documenting collaborative projects with Traveller communities over the past decade, including the design and creation of the first Cork Travellers’ flag and youth-led creative initiatives.
- Live Music (10am–1pm): Performance by Steo Wall, whose work reflects Traveller identity and experience.
- Traveller Cultural Awareness Training (11am–1pm): A session exploring Traveller history, culture, and the ongoing challenges relating to discrimination and access to education and employment.
- Launch of new research highlighting Irish Traveller experiences of racialised inequalities in education (2pm, Glucksman Gallery): This event will explore the experiences of Traveller young people and the challenges they face in education due to racialised inequalities.
Olive Byrne, Head of Access UCC, said: “This exhibition is part of a wider programme of outreach and engagement at UCC, aimed at strengthening access to higher education and building meaningful partnerships with Traveller communities. It reflects a sustained commitment to ensuring that our university is not only open to all, but actively shaped by the diversity of the communities it serves. We look forward to welcoming everyone to UCC for what promises to be a special event.”
View the full programme of events on the event page.