Hurling and Hijabs: How newcomers create a sense of home and belonging in Ireland

Abstract

This thesis offers the perspective of three groups of newcomers (people within the Direct Provision Center, Unaccompanied Minors and newcomers within the Northern Inner city Dublin) within the Irish society, on their journey of creating a sense of home and belonging in Ireland by participating in sport initiatives created by social enterprises. In this process of creating a sense of home and belonging in Ireland, and thereby becoming part of the Irish society, newcomers deal, among others, with four kinds of excluding practices, which are spatial, economic, social and cultural practices. Social enterprises in Dublin provide newcomers with all kinds of help to deal with these four excluding practices. These organizations do this by providing sport lessons and helping newcomers with the barriers they encounter, like language barrier. Although newcomers still feel the negative consequences of the excluding practices, most newcomers I met were still able to create a create attachment to Ireland due to the help of the social enterprises. From this sense of attachment, a sense of home and belonging arises. During my fieldwork in Dublin, I found that participating in sports initiatives enables newcomers to create a social circle. This social circle, is the start of creating a sense of home and belonging in Ireland.