A Rein On Our Parade

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A still from a video of a Traveller horse and wagon being stopped by gardaí in Dublin city centre yesterday during the Reclaim 1916 parade.

Pavee Point writes:

Here is a video from the Reclaim 1916 parade on [yesterday]. The experience was marred by gardaí telling us, at the last minute, that we couldn’t bring the horse and wagon up O’Connell Street. We believe that this was for genuine health and safety reasons. However, we feel that the situation wasn’t handled as it should have been.

It resulted in Pavee Point having to pull to one side and wait until the end of the parade to be able to bring the horse and wagon up O’Connell Street. Although we were stopped only a few hundred metres from the end of the parade, we felt it was important to finish the parade with the horse and wagon – important symbols of Traveller culture.

And we wanted to be able to make our statement walking past the Daniel O’Connell statue and arriving at the GPO – given the centenary anniversary that was in it. We’re glad to report that we did make it onto O’Connell Street to take our rightful place – and we got great crowd support. After all it was the people’s parade.

Watch the video here

Previously: Worth The Licence Fee

35 thoughts on “A Rein On Our Parade

  1. Kate.

    As a settled person I can’t but notice that travelers gets disproportionately bullied/ harassed by the Gardai. It’s very noticeable.

    1. Bobby

      Because all the other people with horse and carts were allowed down the street? Come on, this was common sense, not an act of racial oppression.

    2. Randy Ewing

      As a Irish Citizen I find the term “settled person” to be racist and abusive, please refrain from using it in the future.

    3. Rob_G

      For horse-related traffic incidents, I’d say they receive close to 100% of Garda attention – I wonder why that might be?

  2. Pete

    I feel sorry for the horse. Travellers have a damn poor reputation when it comes to mistreating animals, and here we have more of it, forcing an animal into a noisy environment.

    Plenty of videos online of animals abused at the hands of travellers….

    ‘Culture’ eh.

    Sickens me.

    1. Can't understand it

      ‘Oh, who will think of the horses?’

      Get a grip.
      They aren’t being rode into battle. There isn’t a knight in heavy armour on their back. It was a parade.

      If there was a fault it lies with those who made the noise that you in your imagination presume upset the horse.

      Would you be from Kildare by any chance?

    2. The People's Hero

      You could lay the same noise accusation at the feet of the Mounted Support Unit….. but then, you wouldn’t…. would ya…..?

  3. Cromuel

    We’ve all seen thousands of vardos careering wildly around the streets killing all in their path (not).

    Sure, some travellers are cruel to animals. But some really love their horses and dogs and take care of them. Glad they made it up to Dan and along O’Connell Street.

  4. Andy McGowan

    The horses were terrified of the crowds. Typical of Pavee Point that only they matter and they are happy to attempt to ruin a great day.

  5. Rois

    I’m not exactly sure what Pavee Point is looking to highlight here – stopping the horse and cart was not racist and did not “make a mockery of 1916”.

  6. Kdoc1

    I don’t understand the issue here. Horses and carriages carry tourists around Dublin every day of the week.

    1. ollie

      a horse drawn wagon is a vehicle. Vehicles were banned from O’Connell St on the day in question. Nothing to see here boss, hey do ya want a new driveway?

  7. Jake38

    Shouldn’t they be cracking down the M7 the wrong way in sulkies scattering the traffic to celebrate their cultural heritage?

        1. Nigel

          Doesn’t matter you’re all the same stop trying to distance yourself from it it’s your responsibility.

  8. Murtles

    Having been a Steward of a St Patricks Day Parade for many a year, most years we have to rejig the position and running order of community groups or individuals with horses depending on who is in front or who is behind them especially if it is a band or children. Fair play to the lad in the group with the sunglasses, kept the cool, offered a solution unlike some of the muppets around him who from what I can see were not even part of the group.

  9. Joan Burton

    Now I’m willing to be corrected but I’ve just finished a few books on the Easter Rising and read all the articles, watched the TV shows etc and I haven’t noted any ‘travellers’ with horse & carts having a big role.

    1. Nigel

      Oh God our precious exclusive lah-di-dah 1916 celebrations are being spoiled by horses and carts! Whoever heard of Irish people of any kind with horses and carts in 1916?

  10. Clampers Outside!

    This is such a non story…… “oh, woe is me, I’m offended, my horse was stopped”…. because the organisers didn’t take into account live animals in a parade situation… pffft!

    If there is any legitimate moaning to be done, it’s with the organisers. Simples.

  11. Chris

    The irony is none of us are settled we all hurtle through space at around a thousand miles an hour so though apparently remaining in the same place you constantly move about in the space time continuum. The idea of anything being ‘settled’ is laughable from a universal perspective.

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