Saturday 31 October 2009

Ireland – the land of scumbags and skangers.

Knacker”.

It’s an interesting word, and one with several meanings. Beyond these shores it is someone who slaughters horses, en route to the manufacture of equine glue, or suchlike. Within them and beyond, it can be used as a verb, as in “to knacker” something, or an adjective as in “the whole country is knackered”.

Exclusively in Ireland, it is predominantly utilised in reference to an individual member of the travelling community (those of you abroad who are unfamiliar with Ireland's travellers might look at the film "Pavee Lackeen" to get some idea). Sometimes the term is employed as an ersatz word for “skanger”, a distinctly urban Irish underclass of scumbag who lives on the dole (though some do work), steals your car, and sticks bangers up your cat’s arse at Halloween . Whenever I use the term it is always in the latter sense, never the former - but it’s probably best to just to use the term “skanger”, as that avoids any possible confusion.

Some time ago, I played in a pub covers band which contained a sizeable proportion of skangers who you would trust as far you could throw (definitely not far). Funny thing is, they would refuse point-blank to perform at traveller weddings. At the time, I mused on what was it, exactly, that made these people feel they were superior to anyone else? Knowing some of them, it certainly wasn’t honesty or integrity.

The subject of travellers is quite a heated one here in Ireland, but it’s one of the few things I would not get hot and bothered about. In short, travellers have never actually bothered me throughout my life to date, whereas skangers have – and there are lots more of them, particularly here in Blanchardstown.

There’s a Traveller halting site not too far away from me on the Porterstown Road, but I have never heard any reports – or experienced – any problems coming from that quarter of Dublin 15. Can you say the same for many of the “settled” estates in the area? No. Skangers are the problem for me, not travellers.

Sure, sections of the travelling community feature disproportionately in reported crime – just as they are underrepresented in education – and some of their internecine feuds are unimaginably vicious and entrenched. But you also have to wonder if an individual traveller attempted to get a job and live and work with settled people, would he/she ever be accepted by the wide majority? My guess is no.

Not even by the skangers.

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13 comments:

Bernd said...

VERY good post. 'nuff said!

The Gombeen Man said...

Cheers, Bernd. Glad someone liked it ;-)

Anonymous said...

Meooow!

Anonymous said...

GM

You are clearly blind to what makes Ireland a great country: It is tolerant, unlike some of the people who live there!!

The Gombeen Man said...

What? I'm a model of tolerance! ;-) Erm... I'm speaking up for travellers here. I imagine you'd find quite a few within that community who'd disagree with you with regard to Ireland being "tolerant".

Anonymous said...

To the misguided author of "You are clearly blind to what makes Ireland a great country : it is tolerant"..... Look I don't want to be rude but (actually I do) I've spent the last three pints (that's a joke BTW - cos you don't drink Margeaux by the pint - ok so it's private joke) trying to think of what makes Ireland stand out above the other nations of the world with respect to its tolerance (oh and if you are going to post anonymously can you at least stick something at the end of your post such as "Hopelessly bewildered" or "D for History" just so as all those people out there who take exception to your "Irish Tolerance" stance can get YOU lined up in the crosshairs. Tell you what, you send me five examples of Irish tolerance contributing to Ireland's greatness as a cuntry and it's "Game On"
Cheers Ponyboy
PS = TIMA

paysan said...

Nice post GM. I grew up having to dodge skangers from Ringsend and Pearse St and never had any problem with Travellers so I know where you're coming from.

The Gombeen Man said...

My thoughts exactly, Ponyboy.

Cheers Paysan. I'm originally from that neck of the woods myself (Marian survivor), and my skanger dodging-skills are well-honed.

paysan said...

We might know each other GM, I left Marian in 1981...

The Gombeen Man said...

Gas, Paysan. So did I. The Fint, Barabbas, Lofty, Muck and all the rest! Happy days... not! Do you want to send me an email at the address on the left?

paysan said...

Aaargh, Lofty and Muck - there goes 20 years of therapy. I'm sending you an email, meanwhile I'm trying to remember the Leeds fans in our year...

Brian said...

If it wasn't for skangers Dublin would be a much nicer place to live. Some of my foreign friends are very scared of them and today I found out why. We were walking off henry st and about 10 skangers started shouting at them, saying they were going to ride them (which to them just meant rape). I've met many nice travellers and have never been bothered by them but I have yet to meet a half decent skanger. I'm really starting to hate them to the point were I just want to hit them as soon as they say something. Why should the decent people have to tolerate this. Can't we make laws against behaving like a scumbag?

The Gombeen Man said...

Yes, I can well imagine the dismay of your foreign friends. You just don't get a species like the Irish skanger elsewhere, due to generations of specialist State-and-church-sponsored breeding.