Quidditch World Cup - Irish vs English

[eloiseherisson at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 97059

Geoff:
>I have always assumed that the Irish team referred to in the  QWC is 
>that of the Republic of Ireland, which is /not/ part of the  UK
and later:
> It is usual in the UK that, if Ireland is mentioned in a sporting  
> sense - football, Rugby Union etc - it is usually the Republic being  
> discussed. Ulster would normally be referred to as Northern  Ireland.
Except - and this is the analogy that I have always assumed that JKR was  
drawing - in Rugby Union, where the Irish team is drawn from both sides of  the 
border. I was just confirming this for myself and found out some interesting  
history about this which a bit OT, so I'll give you the link: 
http://www.irishrugby.ie/info_general_history.html
The Irish teams which play in the Six Nations Championship and the World  Cup 
are drawn from both sides of the border. Hurling and Gaelic football are  
also organised on a countrywide basis, unlike soccer, which has individual  
leagues and where both Northern Ireland and the Republic field international  
teams. The QWC dates from 1473, long before the creation of the Republic of  
Ireland, so it would be far from surprising if the Irish team were similarly  drawn 
from both sides of the border. 
In fact as far as nationality and sporting allegiences/eligibility to  play 
go, these things frequently have nothing whatsoever to do with  legal 
nationality, but rather with (in the case of eligibility) whether you can  prove 
sufficient ancestry of the required nationality (I believe often one  grandparent 
will suffice - we know a South African born and bred who played for  London 
Irish) and in the case of allegience of what you feel your ethnic roots  to be. 
Irish ethnic roots are particularly strong: I believe there are a great  many US 
citizens who have never set foot in Ireland, yet have a  definite identity as 
Irish Americans. Sean could come from Liverpool and  still have a strong 
Irish identity.
QTTA may be of help on this issue. There is mention of 'Northern Ireland's  
most celebrated Quidditch team' (The Ballycastle Bats) which suggests that the  
*political* division is recognised in the WW. OTOH, the chapter on  Quidditch 
teams of Britain and Ireland also has an entry for the Kenmare  Kestrels from 
Co Cork, in the South and at the same time there is mention of  'The British 
and Irish League' which taken together suggest to me that as far as  Quidditch 
is concerned, the whole of Ireland is regarded as one entity.
I go along with Steve's theory that Quidditch teams are not  necessarily 
governed by modern political boundaries. 
~Eloise


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]