The Secret Lives Of Irish Travellers

Photographer Joseph Philippe Bevillard Captured The Secret Lives Of Irish Travellers Revealed In Intimate Portraits

These fascinating pictures captured over a decade show the secret lives of Irish travellers. Photographer Joseph Philippe Bevillard shares work from his ongoing series documenting these travellers’ lives through intimate portraits.

Irish Travellers (Irish: an lucht siúil, meaning ‘the walking people’), are a traditionally itinerant ethnic group whose members maintain a set of traditions. Although predominantly English-speaking, many also speak Shelta. They mostly live in Ireland as well as in large communities in the United Kingdom. Traveller rights groups have long pushed for ethnic status from the Irish government, finally succeeding in 2017.

The historical origins of Irish Travellers as a distinct group is still unknown. It continues to be the subject of academic and popular debate. Research has been complicated by the fact that the group appears to have no written records of its own.

As of 2016, there are 32,302 Travellers within Ireland.