Sophie Welsh

Maeve Byrne (RIP) - Cousin

## Background

Sophie Welsh, born Seán Byrne Grogan was born Cork City, Ireland to Sandra Byrne Grogan and Mick Grogan. Seán's youth was that of a typical young Irish lad, a Mammy's boy from Mass to school. In secondary school, however, he fell in with the wrong crowd. Incident reports flowed home at an increasing rate as he proved to be more and more of a problem child, his presence in classes falling off in the opposite direction. This eventually spilled over from school, with Seán's first incident with the Gardaí in Third Year after being caught shoplifting. Throughout the next three years this was a repeat occurrence, continuing to escalate towards more substantial infractions. Seán spent much of the latter half of his secondary school delving into the local drug scene, growing a relationship with his regular dealers and falling further into his thievery to fuel his newfound addictions.

Towards the end of his school life, Seán stole a jeep from a local Tesco to take on a late night cocaine-fuelled joyride into the countryside lanes. In a moment of inattention, he lost control of the vehicle and sent it into a ditch. Although Seán escaped with non-permanent injuries, the experience hit him almost as hard as the airbags. The sobering nature of the incident incited him to return to admit himself to rehab, much to the relief of his parents. Seán set himself to return to studying, though it was too late. Despite his best efforts, he failed most of his classes.

Seán was heartbroken, but he maintained his vision of a better future. He found himself in government funded courses for trades, machinery and other practical work. At 19 years old, Seán finally found work driving a delivery lorry for a local business, saving up every penny he could spare. Seán had set his mind on leaving this country that fostered so much of his horrible life choices and experiences, he could never move upwards in the world with the stain of his past lingering over him. Seán spent the next two and a half years deliberating his options, though one option stood out amongst all, the place in which so many had found a new life for themselves; the State of San Andreas.

## City Life

Sophie, still Seán at this time, arrived in the city in May of 2023. He spent his first month trying to break through his shell and find his place, growing comfortable some of the communities in the North of the state, primarily around Carbon N' Chrome in Harmony.

Following the tsunami, Seán began to hang around Harmony whenever he wasn't busy, budding multiple friendships from the conversations and shenanigans in and around the mechanic shop. In the early post-tsunami period, Seán had regular interactions with members of the SeaDogs. He was also reunited with his cousin, Maeve Byrne, when it was confirmed with a DNA test. Maeve turned out to be an incredibly important support figure in their life, especially when they underwent the transition to Sophie Byrne Grogan, with Maeve even being the lawyer to submit the papers for her.

Sophie came to lean on Maeve over the following month, however the murder of Maeve upended her stability and left her distraught. She spent time mourning her cousin's passing, however she found herself within a new support structure soon after; the SeaDogs. During her hangaround phase, she and Maddy Welsh made comments about adoption, which soon became the reality of her adoption by Maddy and Jim, once again renamed to Sophie Welsh.

During Sophie's tenure as a SeaDog, she was tackled off of a suspender tower of the Miriam Turner overpass by the now Dakota, former Jim, Welsh. Following this, Sophie's opinion of her father soured and she went on to split away from him even more than his departure from the SeaDogs caused.