Kerron Ó Luain, Dilean MacSearraigh and Bernard Sweeney. Colonial labels, Irish Travellers and Settled Irish were not just about defining and categorising people but about exerting control and domination. They were a way for the colonisers to justify their actions and to maintain their power over the indigenous population. But these labels did not just apply to the Irish Traveller community in their own country. The English also used labels like 'wild Irish' and 'undeserving Irish' to justify their treatment of the Gaelic people as a whole. Unfortunately, it seems the impact of these labels did not end with the end of formal colonisation in 1922. Many of these old colonial labels and the institutions that support them labels persist to this day, shaping the way that Irish people and Travellers are perceived and treated by each other. That is why it is so important to understand the history and motivations behind these labels are given life to be understood. By doing so, we can begin to challenge and change the systems of thought and power that have perpetuated these divisions for centuries. We must also recognize that these issues are not unique to Ireland. Similar patterns can be found in the histories of many colonised and marginalised communities around the world. By examining these issues in a critical and nuanced way, we can gain a deeper understanding of the complexities of identity, belonging, and cultural heritage. By doing so, we can work towards a more healing and understanding island and become a country for all cultures and democracies. Dr Kerron Ó Luain is a historian from Dublin, Ireland. His most recent publication, Rathcoole and the United Irish Rebellions, 1798-1803, charts the emergence of radical Irish republican thought, and consequent military action, in his hometown. “Compulsory Irish”: The Place of the Irish Language in Ireland’s Post-Colonial Education System OCTOBER 1, 2021 BY KERRON Ó LUAIN Ireland’s Gaelic Athletic Association: A Vehicle for Social Solidarity or Social Consensus? AUGUST 6, 2021 BY KERRON Ó LUAIN Class Disparities and Child Abuse in Ireland 2020 JULY 17, 2020 BY KERRON Ó LUAIN There is a Spectre Haunting Ireland: Emigration JUNE 25, 2020 BY KERRON Ó LUAIN The Soviet Century FEBRUARY 21, 2020 BY KERRON Ó LUAIN The Longue Durée: Commemorating RIC and Black & Tan Colonialism JANUARY 16, 2020 BY KERRON Ó LUAIN The Irish Language and Marxist Materialism JUNE 12, 2019 BY KERRON Ó LUAIN What the “White Irish Slaves” Meme Tells Us About Identity Politics APRIL 22, 2019 BY KERRON Ó LUAIN “Radical Ireland’s Dead And Gone”: The Protest Outside Simon Harris’ Home FEBRUARY 14, 2019 BY KERRON Ó LUAIN Captain Moonlight Revived: Ireland’s New Land War? DECEMBER 21, 2018 BY KERRON Ó LUAIN Creeping Neo-Fascism in Ireland and the “Open Borders” Question NOVEMBER 30, 2018 BY KERRON Ó LUAIN Poppy Fascism and the English Education System NOVEMBER 12, 2018 BY KERRON Ó LUAIN Ireland’s Gaeltacht Regions: Transitioning Into Oblivion? NOVEMBER 2, 2018 BY KERRON Ó LUAIN