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‘EVERY ONE OF us judges others on first contact’. That’s the tagline of Foxy, a new play by Noelle Brown, and it’s a line that rings true for actor Michael Collins.
As a member of the Travelling community, he has seen first-hand how people can discriminate against him because of his identity.
For Collins – who many will know from his days as Johnny Connors in Glenroe – starring in Foxy is a way for him to bring the topics of identity and discrimination to a wide audience.
“He knows that the child is his”
Foxy was inspired by real-life events. It involves red-headed garda Ivan, lonely Doreen who has a shameful past, and Traveller Michael who finds himself pushed to the limits when it is assumed his child is not his own.
“The character I’m playing, [Michael], is the father and the father is in the house with the child and the guards come,” explained Collins. “He’s trying to get his head around what’s going on. He knows that the child is his.”
The play deals with prejudice against Travellers, as well as their relationship with the gardaí.
“It’s a very emotional play but also parts of it are quite funny,” said Collins, who feels like he’s made a connection with the character.
He is a very strong member of the Travelling community. He is proud of who he is and where he comes from. He would have had bad experiences with the guards or with people who would discriminate against Travellers. I went through that and sympathise.
Collins and his wife have brought up her nieces as well as their own children. “The youngest one is very, very blonde with blue eyes, so I could imagine someone coming and knocking at the door and saying ‘is that your child?’.”
Mark Fitzgerald & Michael Collins in Foxy by Noelle Brown
Collins has written four plays himself, the most recent of which, Magpies on the Pylon, dealt with suicide in the Travelling community. There is an extraordinarily high rate of suicide amongst Travellers, and this was Collins’ way of taking a dark subject and exploring what it means to people.
After each show, he would meet people in the foyer who would tell him their own tragic stories.
“My nightmare is this tragedy is going to happen again”
Collins is a Traveller activist, and the recent deaths in Carrickmines are weighing heavy on his mind.
He fears another fire like Carrickmines could occur.
My nightmare is this tragedy is just waiting to happen again, because there are tonnes of sites around with naked wires, no panel walls blocking off mobile homes from each other.
While filming a recent project, Collins watched as a mobile home was set on fire – it took 6.5 mins to turn into an inferno. It further impressed on him the dangers that face people living in some halting sites.
The Carrickmines fire was “a terrible shock to the Traveller community”, but also to the settled community, he said.
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“I think that people out around that area are traumatised and will be for a long time,” he said. “It’s great to see the settled people coming out in supporting the Travellers and great to see the politicians coming out on the radio from all different parties, and finally saying we need to do something about this.”
He believes Traveller accommodation needs to be taken out of the hands of local authorities. “Travellers are not a priority to government or to the local authorities,” he maintained.
He said there is no room in politics for people who get votes with an ‘anti-Traveller agenda’.
Collins did feel proud about the country’s reaction to the Carrickmines deaths – like the flag hung at half mast.
It made me feel very proud. It was the first time I’ve ever felt that we’ve been received as a community and almost felt like we were an ethnic minority grouping in [the eyes of the country].
But the reaction at Rockville Drive made him feel “that things were never going to change”. It is ”what you’re fighting against as member of the Traveller community”.
“I know it’s not all the local community there,” said Collins, who described himself as “heartbroken”.
He thought to himself:
Oh mother of sweet loving God, what sort of people would do something like that when there are people not even identified in the morgue? It brought me back to Ireland in the 70s, 80s, 90s… something else needs to be done.
He believes the settled and Traveller communities need to mix more, and from childhood. Collins notes how Ireland has become a multi-cultural society, but feels there has been no change in how Travellers have been accepted.
Of discrimination, he says: “We feel the brunt of that and we’re going ‘mother of God, how are we going to survive in this country?’ We all have children. All people want is to raise their children as good, honest, strong adults.”
All I want people to [say] is alright, OK, there’s Michael Collins out there, he lives up in that house, we know he’s a Traveller and we respect he’s a member of the Traveller community. That’s all I want: a little respect. Everyone deserves an opportunity. Everyone needs an opportunity to be accepted.
He is “completely” against bare knuckle fighting, describing it as “part of our [Traveller] society… it is an internal issue and an issue we need to resolve ourselves. It can’t be resolved by settled people.” He believes gardaí should arrest bare-knuckle fighters.
“A number of years ago, it was a way of dealing with Traveller feuds. Now it’s not like that anymore.”
Traveller pride
The parts of his life he is most proud of? His family, doing a show that gets a good response, “when the Irish flag goes up in the Olympics and there’s a Traveller standing there with a silver or gold medal”; “hearing that young Travellers are in the guards, are teachers, solicitors - all those things are a move forward”.
He believes in the importance of good role models, showing how there are Travellers with a variety of roles in Irish society.
As he prepares to explore discrimination yet again on stage, Collins sends his condolences to the families of the Carrickmines victims.
“I think these people will need the help and support of Travellers and settled people all over the country and will need time to deal with the situation themselves. May God give them all a bed in heaven.”
Foxy is on at the Project Arts Centre. Preview Tuesday 27 October, tickets: €10. Opening night: Wednesday 28 October. Until Saturday, 7 November, 8.15pm, tickets: €16/14. 2.30pm matinee on Saturday 7 November, tickets: €14/12
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@Toffeemac: swing date and co-living that did the damage??
I’d say it was lying to the public about abortion legislation….cervical smear scandal and how they tried to cover it up… women’s rights (when it suits them)… the international embarrassment that is the children’s hospital… their TD partaking in fraudulent insurance claims… but what really did it for me: treating the nurses and midwives like a piece of dirt on his shoes….
“Swing gate” is obviously a PR disaster for her and FFG but in the grand scheme of things is pretty minor compared to the real scandals that have embraced this government. It clearly illustrates the pomposity of those chosen to represent us in governance but that pomposity has been on view since they took up office and can be illustrated by their inaction over the homelessness crisis, their failed attempt (thankfully) at introducing water charges, scandal and corruption in the Department of Justice, cervical smear test scandal, hospital waiting lists and overcrowding and handing out private contracts with colossal budget overruns. Maria Bailey is just a microcosm of whats wrong with everything in our current government.
Maria Baileys interview wasn’t just a car crash, it was a motorway pile up with a train wreck thrown in for good measure.
Leo worries only because the best interests of the FG party (particularly the individual beneficiaries of the parties interests) will ALWAYS come before the best interests of the people who elected them. Which is why Bailey will be told to keep the head down for now until the storm passes. Easy peasy when your dealing with the dumbo Irish electorate.
FF pushed us off the cliff and FG smash us at the bottom… and still the electorate vote for them it’s exactly like game of thrones the wheel goes round and round nothing ever changes…
@Bhiniáimin Ó Beith: Agree 100% . Where were all the people who screamed never again. F.F. while in power brought this country to it’s knees, now keep in power the party F.G that just added to the mess. The electorate voted them in again.. A nation of fools is an understatement.
@Chin Feeyin: The one thing they had in common was they both had bank depths written off by the banks. Politically Charlie was a Republican when it suited him…. Fitzgerald was an a apologist for anything that upset the Brits.
@Patrick O Connell: In case it has escaped your attention it was not Sinn Fein or the Looney left as you put it , It was the two parties that the fools of this country just re elected that brought this country to it’s knees. The greens while in government also have a lot to answer for. If you are happy with a crumbling health service, housing crisis, homelessness, scandal after scandal take it you voted to re elect these paracites.
Jesus only 48% went out to vote if even that.nobody gives a fook about politics it’s dying like the church and only for the divorce referendum more people would of stayed at home.sure let ffg think their doing a good job..
Fine gale stirring up a storm. New Swingers club opening in Leinster House soon. Free Baileys every night. Come and have a fall sorry ball and swing the night away. Doctor on call.
Not much has changed since Bertie’s days. Those with contacts and in the loop can receive a lot of taxpayers et als money for what is basically legalized fraud. Madigans and Bailey are no better than berties mafia.
However I put much blame on the voters who we see repeatedly re electing these crooks while struggling themselves to make ends meet.
And the crooks know this and abuse people’s vulnerability over and over.
@iComment:Fact: Of the 105 seats FG lost in 2014 local elections ,FG just won back 20 seats in 2019 local elections!(They had 340 seats before 2014 local elections but lost 105 seats in 2014)
Fact:FF increased seats by 12 in 2019(They had 218 seats before 2014& gained 49 seats then &12 in 2019)
Fact:Green Party increased their seats by 37.(They had just 12 in 2014)
Fact:New party SD won 19 seats.
Fact:SF won 105 seats in 2014(They had 54 seats before that)&FG had lost 105 seats in 2014.They lost 78 seats in 2019 however still have 22 more seats than before 2014 local elections.
Fact:PBP/S lost 17 seats in 2019(combined they had just 9 seats before 2014& now have 11 seats.
The turnout for the 2019 local elections @49% was the lowest in history and voters see more choices than the main parties eg: Green Party &SDs.
So another big story of the 2019 is that FG just won 20seats back from the 105 seats they list in 2014&FF just won 12 seats.Greens won 37seats & Labour win 6seats while New party SDs win 19 seats.
Fact:Labour increased their seats by 6 to 57(they had 81 seats before 2014 local elections)
@Nuala Mc Namara: fact: the shinners has a disaster of an election, lost over 50% of their seats in the locals, lost 2 seats in the euros, mind you the ape that won above in north west is running for the Dail so he won’t see out his term and they also fit smashed in the presidential last year. Roll on the GE with Mary lose mac at the wheel
@Patrick O Connell: Fact:FG only regained 20.9% of the seats they lost in 2014 Local elections!!Any comment about that?
Roll on GE all right as not good legacy having ongoing National emergencies in homelessness, housing and health,etc!
Well isn’t it nice to have a fall guy and gal when reality bites. The population have been well disillusioned with FFG for many a long day and were awaiting an opportunity to display their wrath at the ballot box. Our country and culture has been changed beyond all belief during this Government’s tenure and then the upset caused to the faithful pensioners by fobbing them off with 20% of the back money they were due having been conned out of their correct pensions was a self inflicted blow. Bring on the General Election.
@Mary Dunphy: Sadly, I think you’re deluded, Mary. No-one woke up at least not enough; they INCREASED their vote. Still too many eejits voting the way their grandparents did or suffering from amnesia.
Parish pump politics is why most of these incompetent represantives get re-elected. It will always be like that unfortunately because nobody here is held to account properly! If we were a true Republic not just by name these people wouldn’t even be on the election card
This is what Leo spins in public. He’s happy, the Greens will throw their weight around now they are on a roll, impractical and expensive demands on the public, nothing to say about the lungs of the city being torn out. Instead they’ll bring in bans and taxes at local authority level.
There’s a good positive about these results. It will show people that unless you get off your behind and vote and vote wisely, the status quo will remain.
I’d say the FG analysis will be some fun. “Its all marias fault”. And they’ll probably get in a FG focus group to tell them they’re all doing a fantastic job.
F/g was never gonna accept their bad days @ the office anyway just like they have lost their way in governing the country and the people who they represent the people have spoken Leo I know you wont accept it f/g are finished with there governance of this country enda Kenny was by far the better leader ye had and ye should a kept him
I may be wrong, but the cynic in me thinks that Maria Bailey is being thrown under the bus to make way for the EU fanboy Richmond to run in the Dun Laoghaire area. They can’t just drop her to make room for him or they will be accused of discrimination against a woman. There are a lot of bigger issues annoying the electorate, not just Bailey’s ridiculous claim.
Out of two main parties, they’ve got around 25% support. You could say up to 50% of the electorate are looking for somebody to vote for. If they performed better, they’d get more votes but the bottom line is that they’re just not doing a very good job.
And no amount of photo opps and spin will make them any better. They pay themselves the big bucks but all they can produce is the fake news, the spin and the photo opps.
It’s been under reported but the SDs bringing hope 19 and some good showings in Europe has to be a good day for them. A lot were writing them off after the last election but I always said they would be slow risers. A bold statement but I could see them become the largest party in 10 to 15 years.
Something I haven’t heard anyone mention is the effect of their opposition to the Nurses pay increase. This had to have resulted in more votes for FF. If I was in the public sector I’d vote FF all day…… FREE MONEY YEAAAH!!
The only reason so many people still vote for FG is identity politics. Most of the social justice warriors don’t care what Varadkar does as long as he continues to be open about sleeping with men.
This person is living in cloud cuckoo land. He has a brass neck. FG have no credibility. Irish people truely deserve stupid paddy label putting up with these useless clown politicians
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