At the same time, the nomination of another of the Taoiseach’s 11 – Traveller activist Eileen Flynn – provided a moment for genuine celebration. She would give voice to a community that had for too long gone unheard, Flynn said in her maiden speech on Monday. Yet the powerful symbolism of Flynn’s presence in the Seanad should not obscure the very real, and in some cases worsening, problems faced by Travellers in Ireland. Eileen Flynn’s presence in the Seanad will enhance that institution and marks an important milestone. But Ireland is only starting out on the road to real equality for her community.

Source: The Irish Times June 30, 2020 17:01 UTC