The Irish Coven

The three members of the Irish coven are old friends of Carlisle Cullen‘s.  Are there ANY vampires who aren't buddy-buddy with Carlisle? Especially since NONE of the Cullens seem to have gone anywhere remotely interesting? Siobhan is the leader, but she and her mate, Liam, trust the judgment of their newest member, Maggie, who has a gift for knowing a lie when she hears one.  Shouldn't these people be evil, since they come from a predominantly Catholic country, which is a sign of evilness for Italy? But on the other hand, a group of people who don't fake nuclear family ties and are led by (gasp!) a WOMAN might be regarded as the same thing in Smeyer's eyes.