‘Let Them Play’: Exploring Class, the Play Divide and the Impact of Covid-19 in the Republic of Ireland

The Republic of Ireland has undergone a process of profound social change since the 1990s. This process of ‘accelerated modernization’ has transformed all aspects of personal and political life including, but not limited to, successive cycles of economic boom (Celtic Tiger economy 1994-2007) and bust (recession 2008 on), changing demographic trends based on inward and outward migration, the growing divide between rural and urban areas, lower fertility rates and the rise of working mothers and the issue of affordable childcare. These changes have impacted on the ludic landscape of Irish children. At one level, play has become transformed into a signifier of social mobility and affluence, with structured, supervised indoor play being deemed to be more socially desirable to unstructured outdoor play. Further class distinctions about play are encoded on the sports field. Irish national sports such as hurling, Gaelic football and camogie, traditionally seen as rural pastimes, are increasingly seen as ways to foster a sense of community for children and their families in the densely populated eastern part of the country. Interestingly, there has been little critical engagement with the ‘play divide’ in the Irish context. This book chapter takes the ‘play divide’ concept to interrogate the status of children’s play in a Covid-19 Ireland from a child-centric perspective. Using data from the national ‘Growing Up in Ireland’ study survey we will explore how the disruptions caused by Covid-19 and the ‘rediscovery’ of the health benefits of outdoor, green play provide us with an opportunity to draw out the classist nature of play in Ireland and contemplate its future direction.