Name: Kiara Donoghue
First name meaning – 'dark'
Age: 24 during season 1
Same age as John
Four years younger than Thomas Shelby
Appearance: Katie McGrath
Dark hair from her father
Green eyes from her grandmother
Personality: Head strong, brave, a fighter, intelligent, little self respect or self worth, but she will stand up for herself and those she cares about. She has always felt a darkness inside her, something her mother saw in her eyes when she was born, hence the meaning of the name she was given.
She was abused by her father from a young age. Because of his affiliation with the Peaky Blinders she grew up around the Shleby's. She was the same age as John and they were best friends all through school. As they grew up, however, the more work John had to do for the business so the less time they spent together, but they were still close. She had always failed to see it, but John had forever been in love with her. He never said anything or did anything out of fear of rejection, but it was quite clear to everyone else. Her blindness to the fact stems from her low opinion of herself, something taught to her by her father's both physical and mental abusive. She was always quite good friends with Ada as well, especially when John became more busy with the Blinders.
Polly had always believed that Kiara would eventually become a Shelby, hoping she would marry John and because of this she always treated her like part of the family. No-one saw her romance with Thomas coming, least of all Kiara and Tommy themselves. They were never close and when she was a kid they never really paid much attention to each other. He was her brother's best friend and she was his brother's best friend, nothing more. Until one night when she was 16 and he was 20 when they were forced to finally see one another because of an unfortunate incident. A promise was made between them, one they would both forever keep. From that night they paid more attention, but that was all there was to it, just two family friends. Thomas felt like he had a duty to protect her due to his friendship with her brother, but that one night had made that feeling stronger and Kiara was in debt to him more than she had been anyone else. With the promise between them and silent recognitions of one another through nods and greeting and farewell smiles, a kind of silent friendship was formed... until she turned 18. Neither of them had been sitting back, waiting for her to come of age, it just sort of happened. His eyes were just opened one night and another promise was made.
Family:
Father
Cacey Donoghue
Age 49 at time of death.
Would have been 56 during season 1
A member of the Peaky Blinders
First name meaning – 'vigorous' and 'brave'
'Played' by Gabriel Byrne
Dark hair
Dark eyes
Mother
Navina Donoghue formerly Kenny
Age 46 during season 1.
Former gypsy
First name meaning – 'holy'
'Played' by Alison Doody
Blonde hair
Blue eyes
Brother
Riley Donoghue
Age 28 during season 1
4 years older than Kiara
Same age as Thomas Shelby
A member of the Peaky Blinders
First name meaning – 'valiant'
'Played' by Jonathan Rhys Meyers.
Dark hair from his father
Blue eyes from his mother
Sister
Ailia Donoghue
Age 18 during season 1
6 years younger than Kiara
First name meaning – 'light'
'Played' by Saoirse Ronan
Blonde hair from her mother
Blue eyes from her mother
Uncle
Bryan Kenny
Age 51 during season 1
A gypsy
First name meaning – 'honourable'
'Played' by Brendan Gleeson
Brown hair
Blue eyes
Grandmother
Moira Kenny
Age 76 during season 1
A gypsy
First name meaning – 'great'
'Played' by Fionnula Flanagan
White hair from age, was once blonde
Green eyes
Cacey Donoghue
He's abusive and a drunk. He beats his wife, his son and Kiara, but not Ailia. The youngest of his three children has been his favourite since the moment she was born and he would never dare lay a hand on her. He was born and raised in the countryside of Ireland until he turned 18 and chose to travel, but he didn't get far. He made it to Birmingham where he met the Peaky Blinders and began working for them... he never left. Ten years later when he was 28, he got a girl pregnant and married her. He was never cut out to have children, the cries and tantrums driving him nuts. He resorted to alcohol and it only got worse with each child. When they were all grown out of their endless crying and tantrum fazes he was well addicted and couldn't stop, his abusiveness only getting worse until eventually he drank himself to death at The Garrison when Kiara was 17, Riley was 21 and Ailia was 11, long before the war started and the men left to fight in France.
His name means 'vigorous' and 'brave' and although he was a son of a bitch, Kiara could never doubt her father's bravery. He was never afraid of anything.
Nevina Donoghue
She was originally a gypsy, a member of the Kenny family who are close friends of the Lee's, until she became pregnant at the age of 18 and her family cast her out. They didn't approve of the marriage any more than they did the pregnancy and she never had any contact with them from that point onward aside from when her brother, Bryan, would come and visit before taking the kids to visit their grandmother and the other gypsies. They didn't hold Nevina's sins against the children so whenever they visited they were welcomed with open arms and Nevina wanted them to experience her culture. Nevina was no exception to her husband's beatings and they wore her down over the years, weakening her and aging her beyond her years. But for some reason, unknown to anyone, she still loved him. As if the gypsies had cursed her this way for her sins.
She is a kind and caring woman who turned heavily to the bible after her family cast her out, living up to the meaning of her name 'holy.'
She had always been a strong believer that the meaning behind a persons name held great power in their life, something her mother; Kiara's grandmother, had taught her. So she chose the names of her children carefully, fittingly. All of their names are of Irish origin due to the will of Cacey, but she chose them.
Riley Donoghue
He is an extremely over protective older brother. He scares off any man that so much as looks in the direction of his sisters, Kiara in particular. He was never able to stand up to his father so his protective nature acts as a way of trying to make up for that. Ailia was never beaten by their father, which is why he was more protective of Kiara. He often had the help of his best friends; Thomas Shelby and Freddie Thorne. John Shelby would also help on occasion if it involved Kiara.
His father had got him a position working for the Peaky Blinders when he was a boy and he never left, practically being a part of the family.
He received his temper from his father, an aggressive wave that would wash over him, but he never directed it towards anyone he cared about. He seemed the least affected by the war after he had fought in France, but every so often you can see it in his eyes when he sits alone at the Garrison in silence. Much to his mother's dismay he is not interested in starting a family due to the things he's done and a fear of turning into his father.
His name means 'valiant,' and despite the beatings he would doll out to anyone he perceives as a threat, he certainly is just that. His only fear is one day becoming like his father or that his sisters may live a similar life to their mother.
Ailia Donoghue
She is the youngest of the three children and has a big loving heart. She goes about life with no worries and a kind nature, much like her mother before she married. She is the polar opposite to Kiara and her mother saw this when she was born, hence the meaning of her name being 'light.' Ailia can do no wrong and not in a way where she just seems to get away with anything, but simply because she always seems to do the right thing and is rarely unhappy. She was free of their father's abuse, having been his favourite and her siblings and the Blinders have always kept her shielded from their wrong doings because of her pure innocence.
Byran Kenny
Despite Nevina's out-casting, Bryan still loved his sister and was the only one to come and visit her. He loved his nieces and his nephew as if they were his own as he never had any children of his own and he felt it his duty due to their father's neglect although he never really knew how bad the abuse really was. Kiara had always been his favourite, the darkness within her something he felt the need to watch. He always told Riley to watch over his sisters.
Bryan's name means 'honourable' and he certainly has always lived up to it.
Moira Kenny
After Nevina's out-casting, Moira never wanted to see her daughter again, but she never punished the kids for their mother's mistakes. On those rare occasions when Byran would bring the kids back to stay with the gypsies for a while after one of his visits to his sister, she would gush over them and teach them as many things about their culture as she could. She never chose a favourite, but just like Nevina did she saw the darkness in Kiara's eyes. Moira was the reason Nevina believed in meanings behind a name and it was her that told Kiara about her name and got Kiara herself hooked on the topic.
The kids loved their grandmother, but had always felt torn about it. They felt like they shouldn't because of her behaviour towards their mother.
Her name means 'great' and although she was not part of the Lee family, the leaders of the gypsies, they do treat her with great respect and she has a strong voice in their council. She is considered a gypsy witch and during their visits she would teach what she could to her grandchildren.
Both sides of the family are 100% Irish. Riley, Kiara and Ailia'a accents aren't as strong though. The developed them from time around their family, but there's also a hint of the Birmingham accent.