What is the Irish Traveller Movement?

The Irish Traveller Movement (ITM) is a national network of organisations and individuals working within the Traveller community.

ITM was established in 1990 and now has over seventy Traveller organisations from all parts of Ireland in its membership. The Irish Traveller Movement consists of a partnership between Travellers and settled people committed to seeking full equality for Travellers in Irish society. This partnership is reflected in all of the structures of ITM.

The Irish Traveller Movement was formed to be a national platform, through which Travellers and their organisations are enabled to:

• Highlight the issues faced by Travellers and to press for real solutions.
• Debate ideas and formulate and promote culturally appropriate initiatives.
• Provide those active at a local level with support and solidarity.
• Develop alliances at national level.
• Challenge the many forms of individual, structural and institutional racism with which Travellers have to deal.

The Irish Traveller Movement has in its membership over 70 Traveller organisations from all parts of the island of Ireland, and has established contact with Irish Traveller groups in Britain.

Membership is open to all those who support the aims and objectives of the movement. For more information on joining the ITM, see the getting involved section of the ITM website





Each year the ITM membership elects a board of management, the ITM Central Group, to manage the organisation. At present the ITM is chaired by Jim O Brien (Bray Travellers Community Development Project) and Maureen Ward is Vice Chair. Julie Mongan is Treasurer and Julie Nevin is Secretary.

The Central Group as of February 2010 is:



Jim O Brien (Chairperson)
Maureen Ward (Vice-Chairperson)
Julie Mongan (Treasurer)
Julie Nevin (Secretary)
Margaret Carr
Catherine Joyce 
John McCarthy
Paul Ginel
Darren Connolly
Paul Quinn




The ITM Staff are as follows:

Damien Peelo (Director) dpeeloitm@gmail.com
Brigid Quilligan (Assistant Director) brigidquilligan@gmail.com
Chantelle Maritz (Office Manager)  chantelle.maritz@gmail.com
Phil Mullen (Receptionist) itmtrav@indigo.ie
Colette Caffrey accountsitm@gmail.com
Jacinta Brack publicrelationsitm@gmail.com

Policy Workers:

Education

Paula Madden educationitm@gmail.com

Accommodation Team

Brigid Casey bridgieitm@gmail.com
Collette Spears itmaccommodation@gmail.com
Biddy Connors itmaccommodation@gmail.com
Andrew Chapple itmaccommodation@gmail.com

Community Development Workers

Helen Thompson (Community Development Worker, Co. Monaghan)
hthompsonitm@gmail.com
Susan Keogh (Community Development Worker, Co. Louth & Co. Cavan)
susankeoghitm@gmail.com
Sue Shaw (Community Development Worker, Co. Cavan)
s.shawitm@gmail.com

Membership Development Workers

Brigid Quilligan (Membership South) brigidquilligan@gmail.com
Margaret O Leary (Membership South East) loughmartin@gmail.com
Thomas Erbsloh (Membership South East) itmmembership@gmail.com
Rose Marie Maughan (Membership North West) rosenorthwestitm@gmail.com
Damien Walshe (Membership East) dwalsheitm@gmail.com
For the areas specific to each membership development worker, please see the ITM members section of this website


The ITM is involved in a number of representational roles, ensuring that our Members’ voice is brought to key policy arenas. These include the National Traveller Monitoring and Advisory Committee (NTMAC), the National Traveller Accommodation Consultative Committee (NTACC), the National Traveller Education Strategy Advisory and Consultative Forum, the Northern Ireland Traveller Education Taskforce, European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN), European Network Against Racism (ENAR), the Equality Rights Alliance (ERA), the Community Platform, the Community Workers Cooperative, Equality Authority (Community and Voluntary and Stereotyping Subgroups), the Northern Ireland Traveller Network, Public Interest Litigation Alliance and the NGO Alliance Against Racism.