Prompted by legislative reform with respect to 'child begging' in the Irish Children Act 2001, this article examines the history and politics of 'child begging' and other children's work among the minority population of Travelling People in Ireland. Increased official focus on Traveller 'child begging' in the 1990s, and an attempt on the part of Traveller advocates to defend related children's work from criminalization, is located within the context of economic growth, social inequality, and struggles over cultural and children's rights.
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