Erin Go Broadcast!: Our Favorite TV Irishmen (And Women!)

Erin Go Broadcast!: Our Favorite TV Irishmen (And Women!)
Put on your best shade of green and honor the Emerald Isle with UGO's list of TV's Best Fictional Irish Characters!

25
Angel

Son of Éire: David Boreanaz of Angel

Truly From The Emerald Isle?: Nay. American, of Italian and Slovak descent.

Few might remember that the immortally brooding vampire Angel began his existence as Liam, the son of an Irish nobleman in the 1700's! The accent left to be desired, but look! Christina Hendricks!

24
Fiona Glenanne

Daughter of Éire: Gabrielle Anwar of Burn Notice

Truly From The Emerald Isle?: Nay. English, of Austrian Jewish and Indian ancestry.

Gabrielle herself may not, but the fiery Fiona most certainly hails from Ireland, and even spent time among the IRA. The character sported an Irish accent in the series' pilot, but has since spoken American in an effort to better fit the Miami scene.

23
Peter Griffin

Son of Éire: Seth MacFarlane of Family Guy

Truly From The Emerald Isle?: American, of Scottish, English and Welsh ancestry.

Let me cut you an Irish rose, laddies. Scottish as Seth MacFarlane may be, his flagship creation Peter Griffin will always have the heart of a drunken Irishman, no matter how many incredulous backgrounds and ancestries he may spout off.

22
Mac and Charlie Kelly

Sons of Éire: Rob McElhenney and Charlie Day of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

Truly From The Emerald Isle?: Verily. American, but both of Irish ancestry

Why choose between the two? Charter members of the highly unsuccessful (but highly Irish) Paddy's Pub, these two drink and thrive in squalor with the best of them, celebrating St. Patrick's in style.

21
Jack Donaghy

Son of Éire: Alec Baldwin of 30 Rock

Truly From The Emerald Isle?: Irish, English, and even somewhat French-American

Alec Baldwin may call Long Island, New York home, but the fictional Vice President of East Coast TV and Microwave Oven Programming for Kabletown stifles his Boston-Irish Southie accent as an elite for NBC.

20
Jimmy O'Phelan

Son of Éire: Titus Welliver of Sons of Anarchy

Truly From The Emerald Isle?: American, Possibly from an Island

Well, not every Irish character can be as likeable as a dewey morning in the green countryside.

Titus Welliver's Jimmy O'Phelan, as head of the True IRA proved an Irish menace you loved to hate, and made all the more satisfying by his eventual betrayal from the Russian mafia, and Jimmy Chibs' grisly revenge.

19
Leo McGarry

Son of Éire: John Spencer of The West Wing

Truly From The Emerald Isle?: American, of Irish and Ukranian descent

White House chief of staff Leo McGarry, of Irish and Scottish descent unlike John Spencer, served his countries well as the powerfully influential (and considerably wealthy) best friend of the President, who sadly died before the series end, just as his real-life-counterpart.

18
Dr. Perry Cox

Son of Éire: John C. McGinley of Scrubs

Truly From The Emerald Isle?: American, but of Irish descent

Drinking problem? Check. Anger issues? Check. Curly red hair and fair skin turning red at the drop of a hat? You'd better believe Dr. Cox's big Irish ass descends from the fair green countryside or Ireland!

17
Patrick 'Lights' Leary

Son of Éire: Holt McCallany of Lights Out

Truly From The Emerald Isle?: Every bit as Irish-American as his on-screen counterpart

Considered by some "The Irish Rocky," only one season of the struggling former boxing champion-turned debt collector has already placed Patrick 'Lights' Leary of Lights Out on the map as a dramatic force to be reckoned with, one that we've had the pleasure of reminiscing with about boxing's greats.

16
Caitlin (Peter Petrelli's Girlfriend)

Daughter of Éire: Katie Carr of Heroes

Truly From The Emerald Isle?: Nay. English, oy!

Sure, Peter Petrelli's (brief) Irish love interest Caitlin may not have been the most memorable of an Irish lass, but we love her so. Seriously! Once Peter returned from the alternate universe they were trapped in, he never mentioned her again!

The Emerald Isle weeps for thee, my bonny Cait.

15
Horatio Caine

Son of Éire: David Caruso of CSI: Miami

Truly From The Emerald Isle?: Irish and Italian-American

That flaming red hair? Not to mention Caruso's NYPD Blue background as Detective John Kelly? Lieutenant Horatio Caine makes for a true son of Ireland, and one of the most eloquently quipping, to boot.

14
Piggley Winks

Daughter of Éire: Maile Flanagan of Jakers!

Truly From The Emerald Isle?: Verily! Despite being born in Honolulu and raise around the globe.

Even as adults, it's hard not to enjoy the charms of the tale of Piggley Winks the rest of his pals in the rural Irish countryside. Just don't be surprised when your kids start asking for moral lessons from your childhood and a plate of cabbage (corned beef would be a little insensitive).

And did we mention Mel Brooks as a sheep?

13
Kenny McCormick

Son of Éire: Matt Stone of South Park

Truly From The Emerald Isle?: His father is of Irish ancestry, but Stone considers himself Jewish.

Think about it. Last name of McCormick, born into poverty of an alcoholic father and startlingly red-haired mother?

Not to mention his staunch inability to die? An Irishman if I've ever heard of one.

12
Red Forman

Son of Éire: Kurtwood Smith of That '70s Show

Truly From The Emerald Isle?: American-born, raised in Wisconsin! But suspected to be of French Ancestry.

Well, they didn't just call him "Red" for his temper. What little remaining there was to be found, the elder Forman sported the reddest hair and the strictest discipline this side of Kenosha, an Irish father tried and true.

11
Mayor Joe Quimby

Son of Éire: Dan Castellaneta of The Simpsons

Truly From The Emerald Isle?: Illinois. It kind of sounds like Ireland!

Loosely based on an impression of JFK, Castellaneta voices our favorite loose-moraled Springfield Mayor with a combination of New York, and Boston Irish accents.

Though given the character's political sensibilities, he'd probably avoid copping to either to keep voter favor.

10
Father Ted Crilly

Son of Éire: Dermot Morgan of Father Ted

Truly From The Emerald Isle?: Most heartily!

Really, you could include Father Dougal, Father Jack, and Mrs. Doyle along with the curmudgeonly Ted, as we loved them all.

But despite his rough appearance, the genuine warmth of Father Ted in taking care of the others would surely as a rose net the good Father a spot among our favored Irishmen.

9
Margaret Schroeder

Daughter of Éire: Kelly MacDonald of Boardwalk Empire

Truly From The Emerald Isle?: Nay! A daughter of Scotland, she is.

Despite only being around for the single season to date, Kelly MacDonald leaves quite an impression as the righteous, but tempermental Margaret Schroeder, later mistress to Nucky.

8
The O'Reily Brothers

Sons of Éire: Dean and Scott William Winters (actual brothers!) of Oz

Truly From The Emerald Isle?: Both born in New York City, of Irish and Italian descent

Perhaps more morally grey than green, you'd still be hard pressed not to have a shred of sympathy for Cyril and his masterfully manipulative Irish gangleader brother Ryan, both of whom stirred up most inmates fair share of controversy over six seasons.

7
Philip J. Fry

Son of Éire: Billy West of Futurama

Truly From The Emerald Isle?: Sure, f you've ever considered Detroit "The Emerald Isle."

With hair almost as red as his jacket and an affinity for clovers, this Fry-rish delivery boy may not have the brains of a distinguished Emerald gentleman, but has more than enough luck to escape interstellar scrapes with flying brains and giant bees.

6
Conor

Son of Éire: Heath Ledger of Roar

Truly From The Emerald Isle?: I should hope you knew that Heath was Australian.

Blink and you may have missed it, but Heath Ledger began his career in the short-lived Xena knock-off Roar, telling the story of an orphaned Irish prince trying to unite his people in ridding themselves of Roman rule.

But it's not like Heath ever did anything important after that.

5
Father Mulcahy

Son of Éire: William Christopher of *M*A*S*H*

Truly From The Emerald Isle?: Born in Evanston, Illinois

Everyone remembers the good Father John Patrick Francis Mulcahy, who struggled with the gore of surgery and rarely approved of Hawkeye, among others' debauchery.

But the good-natured priest held onto his Irish-American charm and proved wise, and benevolent counsel through the trying times of the Korean War.

4
Detective Jimmy McNulty

Son of Éire: Dominic West of The Wire

Truly From The Emerald Isle?: Nay! Dominic hails from Yorkshire, England.

Ah, you can't beat the good-old fashioned trope of the Irish-American inner-city police officer, struggling with both his relationship to the drink and two his family. And while five seasons of The Wire saw Detective McNulty cross the moral spectrum in both directions, Ireland would proudly call him son.

Wait, Dominic West is English? F$%k that!

3
The Black Donnellys

Sons of Éire: Jonathan Tucker, Tom Guiry, Billy Lush and Michael Stahl-David of The Black Donnellys

Truly From The Emerald Isle?: All American-born, but of Irish ancestry.

Between the four lads, why choose? Short lived thought it may have been, The Black Donnellys gave us perhaps our best TV look at the gritty Irish mafia culture of New York City, and the lower-class family values struggling to survive amidst the tensions, at war with the Italian mob.

2
Tommy Gavin

Son of Éire: Denis Leary of Rescue Me

Truly From The Emerald Isle?: Born in Massachusetts, but holds dual Irish and American citizenship from his Irish parents

The quintessentially dysfunctional Irish-American, you don't get more home-spun and consistently troubled than Denis Leary's Tommy Gavin, whether he's wrestling with his own family issues, the drink, the ghosts of his past, or his complicated relationship with faith in the wake of numerous tragedies.

1
Chief O'Brien

Son of Éire: Colm Meaney of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Truly From The Emerald Isle?: Heartily! Both O'Brien, and Meaney hail from Ireland

Perhaps Star Trek's only true Irish character (amidst some serious fakers), Miles O'Brien of Killarney had the distinct honor of making both the Enterprise-D and Deep Space Nine just a little more green, fictionally descending from Irish High King Brian Boru, as all with the surname "O'Brien" supposedly do.

UGO