Harry Potter fans force reroute of Ireland-UK power link over Dobby memorial

Fans of the Harry Potter series successfully lobbied to reroute a major electricity interconnector, preventing it from crossing a memorial to the beloved character Dobby.

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We got hundreds of calls, I mean hundreds of calls.

The €500 million Greenlink project, designed to connect Ireland and Britain's power grids, faced unexpected opposition from fans who were upset about the planned cable path. The interconnector's route was set to run underground near Freshwater West beach in Pembrokeshire, Wales, a location famously used for filming Dobby's death scene in "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Part 1)".

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I said Dobby, who's Dobby? He's a fictitious character in a fictitious book. The whole thing is fictitious.

Simon Ludlam, the project manager, revealed that his office received "hundreds of calls" from concerned fans. Initially surprised by the outcry over a fictional character, Ludlam soon recognized the depth of feeling. "We got back with the planners, and we discussed exactly how to reroute the cable, so we wouldn't go anywhere near Dobby's grave," he stated.

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I said Dobby, who's Dobby? He's a fictitious character in a fictitious book. The whole thing is fictitious.

The interconnector, which allows Ireland to import electricity from Britain and export surplus renewable energy, was successfully rerouted. Ludlam noted that the adjustment also helped avoid potential disruption to actual Bronze Age remains. "A lot of people were very happy about that. The project's now going and Dobby's happy," he added, humorously remarking it was the first time the project had been altered for a fictional character.

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We got back with the planners, and we discussed exactly how to reroute the cable, so we wouldn't go anywhere near Dobby's grave.