Chronicles of COVID-19

Title

Mags, Cork City

Contributor

Mags

Subject

COVID-19 (Disease)

Coverage

Ireland; Cork; 2020s:

Date

18 April 2020

Language

English

Creator

Cork Folklore Project

Rights

Cork Folklore Project

Description

GENERAL PHYSICAL LOCATION RIGHT NOW

Cork City

USUAL LOCATION

Cork city Traveller non official halting site.

Q. 1 STAGES

My understanding of what happened, what is happening with the coronavirus is that it is a virus that is affecting all countries that is very training two older people and people with underlying health condition within my community. Scary I do believe that the government knew this was coming and didn't prepare fast enough to protect people. Within the traveller community I do feel I feel the kids adapted to change pretty fast. For the older community this is a very hard thing to do this within our culture there would be a routine of looking after horses having a sense of freedom. And then all of a suddenly been told you're not to talk or visit no one for the older people you need to Cocoon in your house. When this would have never been the Norm of the routine of not being able to leave your house or trailer (Caravan) and to understand what is going on around them. And also, for people to be able to trust the source of information

Q. 2 EVERYDAY ROUTINE

When living in a halting site cocooning and interacting with people is impossible. Travellers are tight Knit community family mean everything to them so these current changes of not being able to visit or not mixing when you're living in overcrowded halting site is stressful to say the least. I think the changes affected everyone across the board. The worry of one of your own people getting sick how would you cope? how would isolation work when you're living in a trailer ?the kids been off school and you expected to become a teacher as well as a mother( I've never had so much appreciation for teachers in all my life it's a very hard job I think every mother in Ireland would say the same thing today, while everyone one in your family and extended family are adapting to this change the queues in the supermarket haven't to wear gloves the overpowering of information on social media a lot of false worrying information being shared. I do feel within the community not alone do we have all these daily stresses but the harsh reality is that in the year 2020 we have the stress of not having adequate hygienic needs no running water no toilet no washing facilities at all in our trailers. Travellers are very religious people so this is a huge upheaval for them if they can't make it to a funeral to show their respects or if you can travel overseas to show respects they got at the minute
I'm aware 10 people from the immediate family or allowed to attend the funeral in most families I know that would just be the immediate children of the family. It's just very sad times. No Sunday Mass, no Communion, no christenings, no confirmations and no funeral. Not even to be able to attend to support the family of the person dying in the hospital is a huge thing within the community.

Q. 3 GROUPS

Definitely I'd say we have as traveller community there's been a lot of challenges. One of our biggest challenges with in our community we absolutely cherish our older generation these are the people that taught us everything in life and how they adapt and understand this. I feel a lot of people are not understanding it this different virus and are calling it the general flu. I was talking to an older gentleman last week when he mentioned it was just the flu and when I updated them that people actually passed away from the flu every year he didn't even know. I'm hearing within the men within the community there is the great frustration that they can't be out and about and have the freedom. I do believe the right source of information is key and sometimes not listening to the news is a good thing you can be overpowered by information. Within the cork traveller women's network we have made contact with in the community and shared important pieces of information there would be Low level of literacy within the community so we would find giving him a ring checking in passing on information verbally is the best to connect with people.

Q. 4 WAYS WE TALK

I definitely do think the phone and the internet comes into play big time here I know for my own mother my kids face time her, the app zoom is fabulous for bringing people together for work meeting etc. I would also say 1 throughout the Madness and adapting to the change for the last couple of weeks. We kind of going back to some of the old school hobbies like baking cooking some of the traditional things sewing crocheting with our kids and that's kind of lovely to be able to have the time to teach your kids how to do it we are lovely to .I would also say as well is that there we were sent videos from Travelling Man in England actually closing off their sites and taking a stand against people coming in and passing the virus on to residents on site and for me definitely that was something I shared with the older men within my community to showcase the importance of social distancing. And I definitely thought it worked when they see other travellers taking a stand against coronavirus and protecting their own. Also my kids are positively looking forward to going back to school they said they will never miss a day again 🤣 hold them to that.

Q. 5 COMMUNITY RESPONSE

One thing I was happy to see is the videos of men Express in the power of the virus and what I can do to you. As to see other men sharing information that's great. I suppose another thing wasn't happy with visitors within the traveller community we would have a very open house policy I personally would have visitors most days When Ireland is in lockdown, we were still getting visitors there was still men coming Wheeling and dealing there was still horses been dropped off. It’s been there 5 weeks in now. It has been a trial and error process without coming across as rude as every family is different and will obey the rules differently. when you're living in bad accommodation with no washing facilities there was an incident 3 weeks ago where my nephew's wife went into the local garage to wash your clothes and the guards stopped her and told her go home. She wasn't even two kilometres from the site she had no other choice but to go wash her clothes but the guards didn't understand that. She drove home and she came back for a washing 2 hours later she said she was mortified. Also, this woman is expecting a baby in 6 weeks none of the shops are open and we can't get new-born clothes online anywhere people have just gone into panic and panic bought everything. The simple things if you're living in a trailer you might need to go for petrol for your generator every second day you might need to go to shopping every second because you wouldn't have a fridge big enough to hold a food shop for a week you might need to do your washing 2 times a week. You might need to go to the local swimming pool for a shower there all closed and absolutely living in poor accommodation affect you Across the board.

Q. 6 THOUGHTS AND PREOCCUPATIONS

I'm thinking of normality, I’m thinking of our people being safe and well, I'm thinking our front-line staff how lucky we are to have them. I'm thinking about family’s having to live in caravans in bad accommodation throughout this pandemic. I'm also thinking that racism about Travellers throughout social media is rampant with the last few weeks. Also appreciate the power of kindness with people as my mother would say that's the way it was years ago everybody was there to support each through hard times other no mother what. I thinking of within the community are travelling people the suicide rate is higher than the settled community I'm thinking and I hope these few months of been isolated with not effective peoples mental health. On a Lighter note I’m thinking families will appreciate each other a little bit more. And kids will definitely appreciate School being at home for so long.

Q. 7 SIMILARITY TO PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE

No Response.

Q. 8 CHALLENGES AND COPING

No Response.

Q. 9 THE FUTURE

think people will keep up the social distancing they won't be shaking hands as much if at all I hope that they will have a greater appreciation for Frontline staff. I think families will appreciate each other. At more people will go to church.

Q. 10 IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT SPRINGS TO MIND?

I've observed a lot of people anger and frustration coming out in the shopping centres with security guards which shops not been opened with the HSE not giving adequate information. Would hear in a lot of people say that with the cervical cancer mistake the HSE medical years ago that they have trusted them since that Just in conversation it would have been mentioned I suppose what would have that conversation would be over the delay in protective gear for our front-line staff.

Q. 11 IN A NUTSHELL

All I can really say is that I hope this pandemic end soon. Today the 18th of April 2020 and as I mentioned we still have travellers living on the road site with no electricity no running water. I hope this is not the case in years to come. I hope our culture is still intact and we still have that small sense of freedom when this is over. It's just a very scary time for travellers as we cherish our older generation, they are the people that thought us everything in life. And this particular virus is known to affect older community and people would underline issues more so.

age

26-35

gender

Female