Fake tan, tiaras, and eight-year-olds in big white dresses can mean only one
thing — First Holy Communion traveller style.
St Mary's Catholic Church in Belfast city centre was an explosion of colourful
outfits and white stretch limousines on Friday as children from the local
travelling community gathered with their families for what is the most
important day of their young lives.
Little Cara Joyce took two hours to have her hair and make-up done before
making her First Holy Communion.
Applying her sparkly silver eyeshadow and straightening her sequinned tiara,
Margaret Kelly from the city’s Cabaret salon said travellers “go all out”
ahead of their child’s big day.
“We’ve been booked up all morning and the little traveller girls love it in
particular — they like to be pampered.”
Peter Maughan, who travelled to the chapel in a white stretch limo with his
sisters, cousins and mum Rose, was careful not to spill any of the
non-alcoholic champagne he had been sipping in the car on his embroidered
cream suit.
His mum told Sunday Life: “It’s been a stressful day for me — not as bad as
his sister’s communion. There’s more to think about with girls.
“The girls have their hair and make-up done and their tans, and their dress
has to be special. It’s like a practice for their wedding day in a few
years. Things keep getting bigger.”
Rose refused to disclose how much she had spent on her son’s day, answering
simply “enough”.
Caroline Kelly’s family went all out for their little girl. The eight-year-old
had a dark spray tan to help her look her best in her custom-made taffeta
gown.
But Caroline’s nine-year-old sister Mary, who celebrated her confirmation last
year, stole the show in a snazzy red two-piece outfit with black polkadots,
bows and feathered headpiece.
She told Sunday Life: “It’s Caroline’s special day but I want to look good
too, I love my outfit and my high heels — they’re powerful. It’s good to
look different. I can’t wait for the party.”
Her big sisters Lisa and Elizabeth also dressed up for the occasion in a short
leather skirt, jacket and boots and a snakeskin jumpsuit.
Also eight years old, Mary Ward was full of nerves before singing a solo at
the service. While being assured by granny Bridget, Mary said her favourite
part of her crystal-studded communion outfit was “all of it”.
As twins Molly and James Keenan were being ushered into the chapel, James told
Molly she
looked “beautiful, like a princess.”
The travelling community’s flamboyant approach to weddings and communions is
well documented following the success of Channel 4 reality series My Big Fat
Gypsy Wedding.
But despite the flashy outfits, the First Holy Communion is still an important family day for travellers.
Rose Maughan said: “First Holy Communion is when everyone gets together and
celebrates when we maybe haven’t seen each other for a while.
“The day is important — and it’s only right to make and effort to look your
best.”
FACTFILE
1 There are thought to be around 60,000 travellers currently living in the UK
and the Republic of Ireland.
2 The travelling community loathe derogatory terms such as gypos, pavees and
pikeys. They were originally referred to as tinkers because they were
skilled tinsmiths; mending the pots, pans and tools of local people as they
moved from place to place — but now traveller is the accepted term.
3 Travellers have strong Catholic values and a conservative view of the world.
Homosexuality is frowned upon and a traveller man will expect his wife to be
a virgin when they get married. A woman who has lost her virginity won’t
have an easy job finding a husband in the traveller community.
4 The distinct fashion of a young gypsy girl — fake tan, short skirts and
belly tops may seem provocative, but due to their strict upbringing it’s a
case of look but don’t touch. These ladies are proud of their bodies and
comfortable in themselves and see no reason to stay covered up — they’re
looking out for a husband and want to look their best. Most girls are
married before they are 20.
5 Arranged marriages are less frequent now but not unheard of, there are still
a few matchmakers within the community. Many travellers have married their
first cousins but that’s not common practice any more. Large families are
still very much the norm, with some couples having more than 10 children.
6 Irish travellers speak Shelta, and there are two dialects of this language —
Gammon and Cant. It has been traced back to the 18th century, but may be
older than that.
Hit show creates new stereotypes
My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding was the soaraway reality show hit that put the
travelling community firmly in the spotlight — attracting nearly nine
million viewers per episode.
The smash hit series followed the wedding plans of traveller brides throughout
the UK as they organised the most important and most extravagant day of
their young lives.
Viewers were stunned by the sight of 20 stone taffeta wedding dresses —
thought to cost around £50K — decorated with sparkling mechanical
butterflies and flashing lights with battery packs hidden in veils, designed
by traveller’s dress maker of choice — Liverpool based Thelma Madine.
While travellers are notoriously secretive about money, it has emerged that
the average dress made by Thelma is thought to cost upwards of £50,000.
The programme also offered a window into the secluded world of traveller
culture, where literally grabbing a girl off the dance floor is the best way
to get a first date; sex before marriage is forbidden; girls marry at 16,
and a bride wears with pride the hip scars from her impossibly heavy wedding
dress.
A series special — My Big Fat Royal Gypsy Wedding — was broadcast the night
before Kate and Wills tied the knot — as travellers Mary and Peter attempted
to upstage the Royal couple with one of the biggest wedding dresses ever
seen and a cake made in the shape of a disney carriage and horses that
needed three tables to support its weight.
Such is the cult status of the series that supermodel Kate Moss is rumoured to
have commissioned a Thelma Madine wedding dress and caravan park for her hen
party at the Isle of Wight festival later this year.
More programmes are rumoured to be in the pipeline including My Big Fat Gypsy
Birthday, My Big Fat Gypsy Funeral and My Big Fat Gypsy Communion.
The Irish Traveller Movement in Britain described the My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding
series as leaving its community “extremely disappointed and angry” over what
it said was a narrow portrayal.
Yvonne MacNamara, ITMB director, said she hoped any new programmes would
depict communities more fairly.
“What we have had so far has been sensationalist and a bid for ratings. They
have chosen extreme examples to depict with big weddings and courting
rituals and not portrayed the reality of many women in our community who
have a real choice,” she said.
“Thankfully the programme dispelled certain stereotypes about travellers being
dirty and unhygienic and so on, but I am worried they have created new ones.
I urge Channel 4 to examine other areas of traveller life such as the fact
that many travellers are among the most discriminated against and
marginalised in our society.”