Who are the Black Irish?Are the Black Irish really a cultural or ethnic group?Nov 4, 2006 Darlene Vaillancourt
People differ in their opinions on who the Black Irish are. If you have been told that you have Black Irish in your ancestry, it might not mean what you think it does.
Well, there have been a few discussion on this subject on this site, and my curiosity has been piqued. There does seem to be some controversy on the origins and meaning of this expression. It seems that the fundamental meaning of "Black Irish" is simply anyone with Irish ancestry who has dark hair and eyes, as opposed to the more typical and paler complexion we associate with people from Ireland. But there are many differing opinions on the specifics of this "ethic group", if it even really exists as a common group at all. Ironically, the term "Black Irish" isn't used in Ireland particularly. It's mostly seen in North America. One tale is that the Black Irish are descendents of an armada of Spanish sailors who were shipwrecked in Ireland, in 1588. It's highly unlikely that this event would have the lasting ethnic impact that people seem to believe. Most of the Spanish sailors were killed in the shipwrecks, and many of those who survived were put to death as invaders. Afterwards, it was reported to the crown that only 100 survivors remained on Irish soil. Hardly enough to have any genetic impact on the population. Another possible source for a Black Irish ethnic group, is the island of Montserrat. Many Irish were brought to the Caribbean island as servants, and their cultural impact is still seen there today. Though some people insist that the Black Irish is a unique and particularly ethnic group, there are too many interpretations to really nail it down. Generally, the term applies to any dark-haired people of Irish descent, whether they are a mix of Irish/Spanish, Irish/Italian, Irish/Native American or any other racial blending. There is a mailing list from Rootsweb that focuses specifically on this group of people, and their various backgrounds.
The copyright of the article Who are the Black Irish? in Genealogy is owned by Darlene Vaillancourt. Permission to republish Who are the Black Irish? in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
Comments Feb 13, 2007 2:14 PM
Gent Rama :
Feb 26, 2007 7:54 PM
Robert Hayes :
Sep 14, 2007 4:52 AM
Eddie O´Brien :
Nov 16, 2007 8:51 AM
Megan :
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