Getting members of the travelling community involved in more local activities such as sport could lead to less anti-social behaviour.
That’s according to Jack Griffin who is a Tipperary Rural Traveller Project Family Support Worker.
He was speaking on Tipp Today this morning in light of recent events in Cashel which saw stones and other objects thrown at cars and pedestrians.
While condemning this behaviour, Jack says access to sports clubs could prevent incidents like this from happening again.
“My ultimate aim is for some children to have the access, to be involved and to be part of those clubs. But what I would say is that it isn’t straightforward and it is complex but hopefully those negotiations are ongoing and that we can look back in a while and that there’ll be lads involved and that they’ll feel welcome and wanted and part of them and engaging.
“We see in the GAA over in Cahir there’s some of the lads from the Travelling community playing for Tipperary and they’re heavily involved so we have a really good template just over the road so lets try and emulate that.”
Jack Griffin believes that anti-social behaviour increases when these children have nothing to do and believes engaging them with sport would benefit everyone.
“There’s no Traveller from Wallers Lot actively engaged with the GAA and its on their doorstep and there’s no child from Wallers Lot engaged in the soccer club or in the rugby. What I would say is the Tipperary Rural Traveller Project has reached out to organisations and negotiations are ongoing. What I would love to be able to say is that we could come back in five or six weeks with the GAA and the soccer club and there’s a couple of young people that are now engaged and involved with the club.”
