Hopscotch and Queenie-I-O, A 1960s Irish Childhood

As most of us are spending more time at home these days, there is a tendency to reminisce about bygone days and this book fits that bill. Hopscotch and Queenie-I-O, A 1960s Irish Childhood by Damian Corless. A sort of memoir of the 60s, the title of the book refers to the two most common games played by children of that era.

Queenie-I-O was one of these; this ball game was never formally taught but played in every part of the country. 

So if you remember Dáithí Lacha, Buntús Cainte, and Butlin's Mosney then this is a book for you to indulge in nostalgia. The arrival of television at the start of the decade was an eye-opener and a game changer in Irish society. In the absence of home-grown comics and children’s books, Irish children turned to Britain for comics such as the Beano, Dandy, Bunty, and Judy.

But the arrival of the television set rapidly replaced the fireplace as the hearth of the home. It gave us access to the wider world beyond Ireland and showed us the excitement and possibilities that lay there.

TV sets were few and far between and viewing was often communal. Neighbours would get together in that one household which happened to own one, to watch popular events like GAA matches and the Eurovision Song Contest. There were no videocassette recorders at this stage, so if you missed your programme, that was it.

The valve-operated sets at that time were delicate things and because they were so fickle and fragile , and too expensive to buy outright, many Irish families either rented or bought one on hire purchase (HP). The 60’s and the influence of television introduced us to convenience foods like instant mash and packet curries and noodles.

Corless brings us through the decade year by year and lists the top family films, top toys, and top jobs. He also shows how Irish society at this time was deeply patriarchal; girls were conditioned to see their roles solely as wives and mothers.

An example of this is a deputation of Catholic bishops, who petitioned Seán Lemass, the Taoiseach of the time, to prohibit any girl under the age of 18 from leaving the country, in order to protect her purity. That is one aspect of the 60’s I’m sure most of us are glad to leave behind. 

This was a nice easy read and I would recommend it to anyone who would like to experience what it was like growing up in the Ireland of the 60’s.

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Submitted by Teresa in Inchicore Library.