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I was wondering if there are any prominent characters in the Harry Potter books whom we could claim, beyond a reasonable doubt, to be Irish or Welsh. I think Seamus is Irish (based on a recent question) but I'd like to know if there are more such characters.

I would accept an answer if it provides sound reasoning for making a claim even if there isn't any direct evidence for the same.

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  • harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Wales
    – Valorum
    Oct 9, 2017 at 12:35
  • harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Ireland
    – Valorum
    Oct 9, 2017 at 12:36
  • @Valorum Thanks, but the page on Wales lists only one prominent character (Helga Hufflepuff), the other one (Dai Llewelyn) being a minor character. Still, thanks for the effort! The Ireland page was more informative.
    – Myungjin Hyun
    Oct 9, 2017 at 12:43
  • I didn't post them as answers for precisely that reason.
    – Valorum
    Oct 9, 2017 at 13:16
  • You seem to suggest there must be more than one prominent welsh character that's named? What if there isn't?
    – Edlothiad
    Oct 9, 2017 at 13:25

2 Answers 2

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The most prominent likely Irish character is Seamus Finnegan.

It's never outright stated that Seamus Finnigan is Irish, but it's heavily implied.

His name.

Both "Seamus" and "Finnigan" are Irish names. Having an Irish first name by itself could simply mean his parents liked the name, and having an Irish last name by itself could just mean that someone in his ancestry was Irish. Having both an Irish first name and last name, though, implies that he has Irish ancestry, and that his parents feel connected enough with that to give him an Irish name as well.

In addition, when Professor Binns forgets his name, he calls Seamus "O'Flaherty", which is also an Irish name. This somewhat implies that Seamus is memorably Irish.

His accent.

Seamus also speaks in a way that could certainly be Irish. He refers to his mother as his "mam". Some of his speech patterns could also be informal British, but it does lend support to his possibly being Irish.

“I’m half and half,’ said Seamus. ‘Me dad’s a Muggle. Mam didn’t tell him she was a witch ’til after they were married. Bit of a nasty shock for him.” - Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Chapter 7 (The Sorting Hat)

His Quidditch team support.

His favorite Quidditch team is the Kenmare Kestrels, a team from Ireland. He hangs a poster of them above his bed. In addition, while all the British wizards we see at the Quidditch World Cup are supporting Ireland, Seamus keeps his shamrock and pins it to his headboard at his dormitory.

Helga Hufflepuff may be Welsh, but there's less support for this.

In the Sorting Hat's song, he says that Helga Hufflepuff is "from valley broad". There are many valleys in Wales, so this is commonly thought to imply that Helga Hufflepuff is from Wales.

Pottermore information may imply Remus Lupin is possibly at least part Welsh.

Remus Lupin's father met his mother on a visit to a Welsh forest. She was working in an insurance office in Cardiff at the time.

On an investigative trip into a dense Welsh forest in which a particularly vicious Boggart was supposed to be lurking, Lyall ran across his future wife. Hope Howell, a beautiful Muggle girl who worked in an insurance office in Cardiff, had taken an ill-advised walk through what she believed to be innocent woodland.

This could imply his mother was Welsh, although it's not clear whether she actually was from Wales or if she was just working in Wales. The same thing applies even more to his father - he was going to the Welsh forest (and is later mentioned as having knowledge of Welsh boggarts) but he doesn't have to actually be from there.

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    Thanks for the answer (meticulous as ever!)!(+1) I think I heard somewhere that Lupin has Welsh ancestry, though I'm not sure. Thanks again!
    – Myungjin Hyun
    Oct 9, 2017 at 16:40
  • Wasn't the question about prominent characters besides Seamus?
    – ibid
    Oct 9, 2017 at 17:37
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    @HarryWeasley According to a Pottermore writing, Remus's father met his mother in a forest in Wales, and she worked in insurance in Cardiff. It's unclear where Lyall is supposed to be from, and also unclear if his mother was Welsh instead of just working there. This does imply that there's at least a possibility that he could be at least part Welsh though, and I'll add it to my answer for you! :)
    – Obsidia
    Oct 9, 2017 at 22:05
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    @HarryWeasley Also, Celestina Warbeck is confirmed to be Welsh on Pottermore, but I'm not sure if she can really be considered prominent.
    – Obsidia
    Oct 9, 2017 at 22:26
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    @ibid Not exactly. It was an assumption on my part that Seamus is Irish!
    – Myungjin Hyun
    Oct 10, 2017 at 4:49
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Irish characters

  • Cliodna - a famous druidess who lived in mediaeval times and who was an Animagus.

  • Connolly - a Beater for the Irish National Quidditch team.

  • Fergus - a cousin of Seamus Finnigan.
  • Fingal the Fearless - a legendary Irish wizard.
  • Mr Finnigan - a Muggle and father of Seamus Finnigan (Implied)
  • Mrs Finnigan - a witch and mother of Seamus Finnigan (Implied)
  • Seamus Finnigan - a Gryffindor in Harry Potter's year at Hogwarts and member of Dumbledore's Army (Implied)
  • Aidan Lynch - Seeker for the Irish National Quidditch team.
  • Queen Maeve - a medieval witch who trained wizards and witches before the founding of Hogwarts.
  • Moran - a Chaser for the Irish National Quidditch team.
  • Morholt - a Giant.
  • Morholt's brother — a king of Ireland.
  • Mullet - a Chaser for the Irish National Quidditch team.
  • Darren O'Hare — Captain and Keeper of the Kenmare Kestrels from 1947 to 1960.
  • Quigley - a Beater for the Irish National Quidditch team.
  • Barry Ryan - Keeper for the Irish National Quidditch team.
  • Tristan - a hero who tried to kill Morholt.
  • Troy - a Chaser for the Irish National Quidditch team.
  • Orla Quirke - a Ravenclaw student. (possible)

Welsh characters

  • Helga Hufflepuff

Source: Harry Potter Wiki

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    The Harry Potter wiki is not considered a good canonical source on this site. Maybe you can include something from a more official source? Relevant metas. You also haven't even linked to the correct HP wiki page
    – Edlothiad
    Oct 9, 2017 at 13:00
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    I suggest you listen to advice to improve your answer on this site. Although you are a high-rep user elsewhere not all sites follow the same policies, in doing so you will gain the upvotes you sought, instead of simply complaining about down-votes.
    – Edlothiad
    Oct 9, 2017 at 13:24
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    This can be remedied by adding the passages from the Goblet of Fire where the trio met the Finnigans and watched the Irish team play. At least it describes some Irish wizards if not all.
    – Aegon
    Oct 9, 2017 at 13:32
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    @GhotiandChips from this list, only two characters can be considered 'prominent': Helga Hufflepuff and Seamus Finnigan. Also, the source is considered unreliable. So you get your downvotes.
    – TimSparrow
    Oct 9, 2017 at 15:49
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    @Morri the HP wikia has a very strong and persistent reputation as being full of speculative, unconfirmed, or just flat out incorrect information. The HP community on this site hates it, and it's absolutely not a good source of information.
    – KutuluMike
    Oct 9, 2017 at 15:51

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