This is James: Rising Above:  My Life as a Proud Traveller

James’s Journey of Resilience and Belonging

I’m James, 63 years old, a husband, father to three - a daughter and two sons - and a grandfather to three grandkids, with another due by December 2025. Belfast’s my home, and I love it. It’s part of me, and I’m part of it. But my story starts further back, in the south of Ireland, where I was born into the Irish Travelling community. My life’s been a journey - across Northern Ireland, Britain, Europe, and North America - full of freedom, challenges, and a deep pride in who I am.

As a kid, I loved the open road. Sitting on the back of our wagon, I’d watch my parents guide us to new places, each one a fresh adventure. They wanted me to get an education, so I’d go to local schools wherever we stopped. They believed reading and writing would set me up for life. But when I started school at six, things weren’t so simple. Teachers would introduce me: “This is James, a traveller, just here for a while.” That label stuck. I’d be given a crayon and paper to draw while other kids learned. By seven, I felt it - I wasn’t worth their effort. I was left out, sat alone, believing I didn’t belong.

The Paper Plane Lesson

I’ll never forget the paper planes. In class, kids would fold planes and toss them for fun when the teacher wasn’t looking. I thought it was brilliant, so I made one too. But when I threw mine, it landed, and no one picked it up to throw it back. In the playground, some kids said their parents told them I was “unclean” or untrustworthy because I was a traveller. Some even thought I could cast spells - makes me chuckle now, like I’m some Harry Potter wizard. But back then, it hurt. It taught me I was different, not welcome, just for being me.

That could’ve broken me, but it didn’t. As I got older, I realised it wasn’t my fault - or even the kids’. They were repeating what adults told them. Now, as a grandfather, it’d break my heart if my grandkids went through that. Thank God schools treat kids more equally today. Sometimes, I look in the mirror and see that seven-year-old boy with his unreturned plane. I feel for him, but those days made me stronger.

A Life of Family and Pride

Being a traveller is who I am, and I’m proud of it. Our community is vibrant - full of family, tradition, and adapting to the modern world. A day might start with breakfast in a caravan or halting site, swapping stories with my extended family. Some of us stick to trades like horse dealing or scrap metal, while others work in construction, retail, or advocacy. Evenings are for music, prayer, or getting ready for christenings - always with family at the heart. We face challenges, like discrimination or limited schooling, but we hold tight to our identity.

Family’s everything to me. When I married, it stopped being about just me - it became about us. I may not have had much formal education, but travelling the world made me life-smart. I learned loyalty, community, and resilience. I remember being a young man, dressed in my best jeans, feeling like a movie star, walking into a pub. But the barman heard my accent, pegged me as a traveller, and told me to leave. I’d never even had a parking ticket, but I was judged anyway. I walked out, humiliated, feeling every eye on me. That “walk of shame” crushed my confidence.

Choosing Understanding Over Judgment

But I don’t judge others. The world’s got some bad folks, sure, but I’ve met amazing people too - ones who saw me as James, not a stereotype. My rule is simple: if I can’t do someone a good turn, I won’t do them a bad one. Over the last ten years, I’ve found my voice. I’m proud to say, “This is me. I’m a traveller, and I’ve nothing to be ashamed of.”

Things are changing - younger travellers are becoming barristers, doctors, politicians. They’re only limited by their imagination. There’s still discrimination, like being followed in shops, but there’s more acceptance too. I’ve got “settled” friends who treat me as one of them.

I want more support for older travellers like me, who didn’t get the education younger folks have. We need help staying connected in today’s world. But Belfast? I adore it. It’s a great community, my home. My story’s about family, friendship, and belonging - things we all share, no matter our background. Through the This is Me campaign, I hope you see we’re not so different. Let’s build understanding, break down stereotypes, and make Belfast a place where everyone feels at home. This is me, and I’m proud to be here.

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