Total population | |
---|---|
≈ 2,500~3,000[1] |
The number of Romani people in Ireland (Irish: Lucht Romanaí in Éirinn) is roughly estimated, as the Central Statistics Office collects its data based on nationality and not ethnic origin. For this reason a precise demographic profile of the Romani in Ireland is not available. Some estimates of Roma in Ireland give the population at 1,700 in 2004,[2] rising to between 2,500 and 3,000 in 2005.[1] The Romani people first migrated from northwestern India between 500 and 600 AD.[3] They first arrived in Europe via Greece and Bulgaria around the 13th century and the majority of Roma remained in Southeastern Europe.[4][5][6][7] Roma have been present in Ireland since the 16th century. Although they intermarried with Irish Travellers and settled indigenous Irish people, they have maintained their Romani identity and culture across generations.[8][9][10] However, the majority of the Roma population in Ireland today derive from more recent migrations, primarily from Romania, Slovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Poland, Serbia and Italy.