"Do you think if you told me 10 years ago I would be here today and I would have a book I would have believed it? It's unbelievable. We can do anything now we put our minds to," said Ms Mary Coffey (39) at the launch yesterday of a prototype of a children's book written and illustrated by a group of nine women Travellers in Killarney, Co Kerry.
The Adventures of Mit and Mas, the Kerry Fairies was written, photographed and published by the group of women just four months into a two-year European Certificate in Basic Skills course.
Ms Coffey, who is a mother of five and also a grandmother, said her biggest problem with her lack of literacy and numeracy skills was when her children came home from school and she could not help them with homework. "Now I can help them. It was embarrassing. You're the mom, you're supposed to do everything," she said.
The book has sparked an interest in photography for Ms Kathleen McCarthy (45) a mother of seven and a grandmother. She had never used a camera before. Now she has bought one.
Ms Brenda Molloy, director of St Anne's Senior Traveller Education Centre, said that while the women, particularly the older women (the age range was from 17 to 45, and most were settled, though some were currently living on the side of the road) had limited literacy skills, "they have a host of other skills and qualities that are amazing".