Hair and identity in Traveller culture

A new website featuring a unique subject has been launched in Mayo this week. It focuses on Traveller women in Mayo and their crowning glory – their hair.

The project, entitled Crown – Hair & Identity in Traveller Culture, was originated by artist Breda Mayock, who has worked with Traveller women and girls in the Maple Youth Centre, Ballinrobe, and in the Mayo Traveller Support Group, Castlebar.

“Hair is a powerful symbol of individuality which is intrinsically linked to identity, ethnicity, culture and gender,” said Breda. “The way in which we treat our hair can tell as much about where we come from as our language or accent. In almost all societies hair is a strong form of self-expression.”

Exploring hair rituals and practises in minority cultures is particularly compelling because hair often communicates an unspoken expression of identity, noted Breda.

Irish Travellers, or Mincéirí, are an indigenous ethnic minority group who have been part of Irish society for centuries. Travellers share traditions, cultural values, language and customs that make them a distinct group. Within Irish travelling culture, nomadism as a way of life distinguishes them from the settled population.

“Growing up, I developed a natural curiosity and admiration for the Traveller people,” said Breda. “I learned traditional Irish music and absorbed the music and songs from the Traveller culture of touring entertainers, from busking musicians to carnival people.

“Travellers brought songs and stories from town to town and developed their own unique styles of singing, storytelling and playing musical instruments. The Dorans, Dohertys, Fureys and Keenans, to name a few, imparted the spirit of our shared culture through their music. I was a fortunate and enchanted recipient of this musical heritage.”

Traveller women have a unique aesthetic expression, added Breda. “How they express themselves and their sense of identity through their hair is a source of intrigue. Traveller women’s hair as a subject of elaboration symbolises a unique form of creative expression and identity.

“Why this long, luxurious flow in all its glory – plaits, rolls, ribbons, top knots and curls? What have the women to say about their hair, its physical appearance, its traditions, its rituals, and what it means to them?

To find out, Breda got in touch with Traveller girls and women to talk to them about hair. “We have had many conversations and, hopefully, there will be many more in the future. I worked with photographer Orla Sloyan to photograph the women, with a special emphasis placed on their hair during the photography sessions.”

On the new website, www.crowncloseup.ie, you can see and read what Traveller women and girls have expressed, both visually and in their own words, about their hair. The site will be formally celebrated in autumn with an exhibition of photographs in the National Museum of Ireland – Country Life, Turlough Park, Castlebar.