[HPforGrownups] Ireland and Seamus

[Edblanning at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 42108

WvB:

> I've noticed that in GF when Harry talks to Charlie about Quidditch World 
> Cup four teams are mentioned: England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. 
> Moreover, QTTA says that British and Irish teams play in the same League. 
> 
> So far I've seen two explanations:
> 
> a) in the Wizarding World Ireland is still a part of the UK
> 
> b) Ireland and the UK have common culture and common history, thatswhy the 
> teams are playing in the same League (like NBA qnd NHL). Moreover, Northern 
> Ireland is a part of Ireland, as it is never mentioned as a separate entity.
> 

I suspect that JKR is in part drawing an analogy with Rugby Union. For many 
years, The Five Nations championship has been fought between England, 
Scotland, Wales, Ireland and France (it is now the Six Nations and includes 
Italy). The Irish team is drawn from the whole of Ireland, Northern Ireland 
as well as Eire.

I have mislaid my copy of QTTA, but I am sure that Quidditch is much older 
than the UK and that Muggle politics would have little influence on how 
Wizards organised their sport. Hence they might well play in the same league. 

WbV:
> 
> Related question considers Seamus Finnegan. He is Irish but he studies in 
> Hogwarts. Does it mean that there are no equivalents in Ireland? If there 
> is a wizarding school in Ireland, why does he study in Hogwarts? Is he from 
> Nothern Ireland? Does it mean that he (or his parents) might have had 
> personal reasons for opting for Hogwarts?

Many Irish people or people of Irish descent live in mainland Britain, though 
still maintaining strong cultural and family ties with Ireland. However I 
think the explanation more probably is that Hogwarts is *the* (either the 
only, or the best - pick your interpretation) wizarding school for the 
British Isles. After all, the foundation of Hogwarts (and presumably of the 
other major schools) predates the concept of Britain or the UK in any modern 
political sense.

Eloise

Back from a wonderful couple of weeks in the US, savouring the differences 
between our two cultures, proudly able (thanks to you guys) to explain to the 
rest of her family what a Smores flavour granola bar is supposed to represent 
and having witnessed the most outrageously tacky flock of pink flamingos 
imaginable outside a house in Brewster, Cape Cod, of all places.





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