White Gypsy Boy, Black Gypsy King Part 1 by Maccana Teoranta

Part 1 of a radio documentary by Maccana Teoranta.
This is the story of a 20th Century Irish traveller known as Black John Maughan.

In this documentary, we celebrate our nation’s traveller culture through conversation with one of its famous characters. We discuss the heyday of the traveller culture and ponder its current decline. This is the story of a 20th Century Irish traveller known as Black John Maughan.
It is an epic journey that starts high up on the front seat of a traveller wagon along one of Ireland’s winding roads in the 1930’s and with a little boy sitting by his father’s side. This young boy will come to know these roads as his home and will live a life on the fringes of society. He will one day become the ‘King of the Gypsies’.
Black John, now in his seventies, brings us back to his childhood day; his romancing days, his fighting days; to the good days and the bad days.
We hear from his wife and also the woman who gave birth to her before her own 14th birthday, Black John’s mother in law.
The programme is presented by producer Kevin McCann who gives Black John the space to tell his story in his own way.
The listener will picture Black John Maughan as a smiling nice old man who celebrates the gift of life.
‘White Gypsy Boy, Black Gypsy King’ charts a life precious to a culture soon lost.

Edited by Sarah Keating. Written / Produced by Kevin McCann