2026 School of Pharmacy Assembly | Traveller Perspectives on Health and Healthcare
Our 2026 School Assembly talk was delivered by Biddy McDonagh and Eileen Burke from the Traveller Visibility Group, Cork. Their talk, ‘Traveller Perspectives on Health and Healthcare’, provided valuable insight into the experiences of the Traveller community and some of the challenges they face, including the accommodation crisis, mental health issues and inequalities in access to healthcare.
Biddy and Eileen also spoke about the important work of the Traveller Visibility Group, in advocating for Traveller rights and tackling anti-Traveller racism in Ireland. As Traveller Community Healthcare Workers, they shared examples of how community engagement can help connect Travellers with healthcare services, including cancer screening and health promotion initiatives.
For our pharmacy students as future healthcare professionals, their message was particularly important: treat everyone with respect, keep an open mind, and take the time to understand the experiences and circumstances that shape each person’s health and engagement with healthcare.