Irish traveller

Irish Travellers

Pavee, an lucht siúil
Irish Travellers in 1954
Total population
65,000–95,000
Regions with significant populations
Ireland	29,573
Northern Ireland	3,905
Great Britain	15,000
United States	10,000–40,000
Languages
English (Hiberno-English), Irish, Shelta
Religion
Predominantly Roman Catholicism
Related ethnic groups
Irish

Irish Travellers (Irish: an lucht siúil) also called pavees or pejoratively referred to as tinkers, pikeys, and gypsies, are a traditionally itinerant ethnic group who maintain a set of traditions. Although predominantly English speaking, some also use Shelta and other similar cants. They live mostly in Ireland as well as having large numbers in the United Kingdom and in the United States. Their origin is disputed. Traveller rights groups have long pushed for ethnic status from the Irish government, finally succeeding in 2017.

Travellers refer to themselves as Minkiers or Pavees, or in Irish as an Lucht Siúil ("the traveling people").

Travellers are often referred to by the terms tinkers,gipsies/gypsies,itinerants, or, pejoratively, knackers in Ireland. Some of these terms refer to services that were traditionally provided by the group: tinkering or tinsmithing, for example, being the mending of tinware such as pots and pans, and knackering being the acquisition of dead or old horses for slaughter. The term gypsy first appeared in record in the 16th century to refer to the continental Romani people in England and Scotland, who were mistakenly thought to be Egyptian. Other derogatory names for itinerant groups have been used to refer to Travellers including the word .

The 2006 census in the Republic of Ireland reported the number of Irish Travellers as 22,369. A further 1,700 to 2,000 were estimated to live in Northern Ireland.