At least from my observations, it seems as though children are regarded in a similar fashion to the children in America. There are toy stores and sweets that the children want and eat. They watch the same television shows as the children in America (many Spongebob and Hannah Montana fans in my classrooms). Children are also active and really into sports. Following in the footsteps of the adults in Ireland, many children have strong ties to the national rugby team, British football teams, hurling, camogie, and boxing. Many students take lessons for boxing, while others participate in after school teams/leagues.
A main difference that I have seen in regards to childhood and children in Ireland is that there are no real playgrounds at the schools that I have seen. They have a large blacktop, some physical education equipment, and their imagination. There are no slides or swings around town or in the "yard" at school. A lot of the fun that children have is by creating their own good time.
Driving through the more rural parts of Ireland, it is even more questionable as to what children do for fun at a young age. There are no movie theaters, bowling alleys, or playgrounds. I am in a more "urban" area, so there are stores, cinema, and such to entertain children - so I have no grounds to comment on children in less populated places (some villages have a population of 500 or less)
small town of Sneem
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