Interesting, Mimi.
I knew what "Travelers" were/are because of my interest in music.
Margaret Barry (born 1917) was an Irish 'Traveler' (also known as a "Tinker") who was one of the great traveling balladeers of her time. She was tall and imposing and had a powerful soulful voice. She often accompanied herself on her banjo, going from town to town with her husband and singing for a living in taverns and sometimes in homes for private parties. I had often listened to recordings of her ballad singing and banjo playing. Very haunting and beautiful.
Margaret Barry (click on the 'biography' tab) Anyone who loves traditional Irish singing would do well to get a cd of her work.
Bicycle content:
Folklorist Alan Lomax promoted Ms. Barry for a time, and in one of his early interviews with her he noted that her old battered banjo had very rusty strings on it. He speculated that it must be hard to obtain banjo strings in rural Ireland, and asked her how she obtained new strings when her old ones broke. She answered: "Bicycle cables."