It is already March and while this year has been a crazy one, there is no better way to forget your troubles than to drown them out with lots and lots of guinness. Of course, there is no better time to get good and drunk than on Saint Patrick’s Day with some friends. Barring friends, you can celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day with some video game characters that happen to be Irish.
Now sadly, there aren’t that many characters who come from the Emerald Isle whether born there or descended from Irish immigrants. But there are a few, and a number of them tend to display many of the stereotypes commonly associated with those who come from Ireland.
So sláinte to you all and enjoy the list! Meanwhile I’m going to put on Riverdance, follow that up with The Quiet Man and The Boondock Saints while slurping down some shamrock shakes until I am squeezing out some lucky charms.
Oh, and feel free to read all of this with an Irish accent.
Sean Devlin – The Saboteur
If ever you wanted to meet the definition of an Irishman then look no further than Sean Devlin. One of the few Irish characters that is the main character in a game, this womanizing, foul-mouthed, whiskey-drinking Irishman has a noble heart for wanting to be rid of the Nazis who killed his friend.
Thankfully his skills as a mechanic and amateur car racer help him in his goals.
Colin Moriarty – Fallout 3
Before you say it, I’m not talking about the guy who wrote for IGN who has gone on to become successful in launching his own company and podcasts such as Colin’s Last Stand. Nope, this Colin is a cold-hearted crime boss from Megaton. His father was born in Ireland but abandoned the homeland to go over to the States. But despite Colin’s fault of being born an American, he is still a son of the Emerald Isle.
He also runs a saloon! But if Colin isn’t selling the guinness then it wouldn’t be a true Irish pub now would it?
Jack O’Hara – Commandos franchise
Is there anything better than an Irishman who drinks? Why, an Irishman who can fight as well! So if it’s a fight you be looking for, Jack O’Hara is the man you will want in your corner for this RTS franchise. Now you don’t really need to know much about him except that the Irish Sergeant was an army boxing champion for three years and served with the Commandos.
True, he might be extremely violent and lack discipline, but he is a loyal friend.
Henry Cooldown – No More Heroes
Henry might have been born in the United States but he was raised on the Emerald Isle when separated from his twin brother. The 27-year-old assassin will get the job done with his cross sword and look snazzy killing his targets in his fully gray outfit.
Dan Smith – Killer 7
Some might say that this particular character is stretching things. But just because he is one of seven distinct personalities doesn’t make him any less Irish! In fact, this personality is strong enough to overcome any of the others.
He might be a wee bit aggressive, but Danny certainly gets the job done!
Irish – Red Dead Redemption
If there is anyone who lives up to their name better than Irish, then I haven’t met him or her. Straight from the home country, this man has the thick Irish brogue and is a drunkard who loves to tell tall tales.
Yet even imbibing copious amounts of alcohol isn’t enough to give this coward any courage when it’s needed. So in that aspect, he is a disgrace to his heritage.
The McReary Family – Grand Theft Auto IV
Say what you will about the Irish but they know the importance of family. Look at the McReary’s for example! This crime family, which consists of 3 brothers and one sister, does it all together. Armed robbery, extortion, kidnapping, murder, drug dealing, and vehicle hijacking are just some of the things the McRearys undertake.
Yep, a fine example of an Irish family…
Clover – PayDay 2
Speaking of criminals, if you have ever played the FPS heist game Payday 2, then you will run into this Irish lass. Clover is from a line of tough Irish fighters and grew up in a rough house, which means she can certainly take care of herself and is proud of her heritage.
It would be nice if Clover could crack a smile though…
Chief Miles O’Brien – Star Trek DS9: The Fallen
So far we have only seen Irishmen in a rather poor fashion. But to break the mold here is a man who is not an assassin, mercenary, or crime boss. Chief Miles O’Brien is as noble and honorable as they come, and is currently serving as a professor at Starfleet Academy.
This professor was once the Chief Engineer of Deep Space Nine, a transporter room chief aboard the illustrious USS Enterprise-D, and a tactical officer aboard the USS Rutledge.
It doesn’t matter that he lives in the 24th century because an Irishman is an Irishman no matter the time or place. However, it is a shame that he never married an Irish lass. But don’t misunderstand me, Keiko is a fine woman but Miles has had to forego his normal fare of corned beef with cabbage and potatoes for Asian foods.
For the love of Saint Pat, she needs to let the man eat something from his homeland every now and then. It’s what made him strong to begin with!
Ellen Reid – Folklore
If you want to spend some time in Ireland, then I would suggest you pick up Folklore if you ever get the chance. This action RPG is set in Ireland and features Celtic Otherworld and Irish Mythology where you play as Ellen. A young lass who grew up in an orphanage and goes out in search of her dead mother. Then you have Keats who is a reporter who goes to investigate whether or not faerys are trying to kill someone.
While searching for different things, both characters end up in the town of Doolin.
Cu Chulainn – Shin Megami Tensei
Like a bad habit you can’t shake, such as drinking, Cu Chulainn keeps showing up in the Shin Megami Tensei franchise. An Irish mythical hero, he is said to be the son of Lugh, the god of light. He also wields a spear named the Gáe Bolg. Unfortunately he spurned the wrong woman, Morrigan, who cursed him to die by being impaled on his own spear.
This Irish myth tends to show up as a demon knight NPC throughout the games.
Anna and Nina Williams – Tekken
When it comes to Irish lasses, there are not that many compared to the male characters out there. But Anna and Nina Williams more than make up for that! Beautiful and deadly, these two daughters of Ireland do the Emerald Isle proud.
As proud as you can be of a couple of assassins…
Unfortunately, these two sisters never seem to get along.
Kelly Chambers – Mass Effect 2 & 3
The final character on this list is Kelly Chambers who is an honorary mention because no information is given about her heritage. But she can’t be anything other than Irish with her red hair and green eyes.
Serving as Yeoman aboard the Normandy SR2 in Mass Effect 2, it is Kelly’s job to keep you abreast of new emails, passing on requests from your squadmates, and even provides counselor support while monitoring the psychological state of the crew.
Those who play their cards right can actually romance the lass who can also appear in Mass Effect 3 if certain events take place, though it is a shame that she dyes her hair blonde in the third game.
So which Irish video game characters did I miss and who is your favorite? Sound off in the comments below!
Hope you all have a happy St Patrick’s Day! Sláinte!
Update – Check out our 2023 list of Irish video game characters.
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