Travellers tell their university stories in new TV series

FILMED over the course of an academic year, a new documentary next week tells the story of a group of Irish Travellers as they make their way through university life.

Their stories feature in the first episode of the second run of award-winning series Misneach, which starts on TG4 on Wednesday, January 11, at 9.30pm.

The series reveals untold stories of inspirational individuals and the challenges they face in their day-to-day lives while capturing zeitgeist moments that hold a mirror up to our society and to ourselves.

The first episode is entitled Misneach - Tome Insuirt Grani - Neart San Eolas.

The statistics are stark. 13% of Irish Travellers complete school, or the Leaving Cert, compared to 92% of the general population. Today, only 1% of the Irish Traveller population have enrolled in third-level education.

Like many young travellers, Anna left school at the age of 14. Having found her way back to education, she is a single mother in her first year studying for her BA.

In 2019, Anne Marie Ward had a baby and subsequently suffered from post-natal depression. To combat that, she decided to take the leap of returning to education, something she had long dreamed of.

Jason Sherlock was a bright student growing up, he loved learning. However, school was where he first experienced discrimination against his community.

Meanwhile, Rebecca was inspired by her brother to give third-level education a go.

Claire Seoighe’s educational journey was very much shaped by that of their parents. She decided to become a teacher herself and is now about to start teaching in the school she attended herself.