Members of the Traveller community have begun a campaign to break down prejudice and to promote an alternative to the often sterotyped images in the media.
A competition to find 12 young glamorous women to pose for a calendar has been launched.
Albie McDonagh pictured for the Voice of the Traveller calendar. Photo: PA
Called 'Beauty has no Boundaries', the campaign depicts a dozen traveller women, aged from 17 to 24, posing in a restored Georgian mansion in Dublin city centre.
They were selected for the photo-shoot with the help of stylists at VIPmagazine following a nationwide search.
The calendar, sponsored by the Voice of the Travellermagazine, was launched at the National Association of Travellers Centres conference in Maynooth, Co Kildare.
President Mary McAleese addressed the event and noted the obstacles Travellers faced in the past but said things are changing.
"Two decades ago, virtually no Traveller children transferred from national school to second level. It was unheard of for traveller young people to go on to college or university," she said.
"That story is no longer true and today the genius of young Travellers is revealing itself in many different ways. But there is still a very long road to travel before the remarkable opportunities Ireland has on offer today are fully accessed and used by the Traveller community."
Sinéad Burke, editor of Voice of the Travellermagazine, said: "We hope this calendar challenges the public perception of Travellers.
"These girls represent a new generation of Travellers who share the same aspirations as all young Irish people."
PA