What’s Black Irish?

The term “Black Irish” is used almost exclusively outside Ireland to refer to certain groups of people, although there is little agreement as to who it applies to and why. In many cases, it refers to people of Irish descent who have darker features than stereotypical Irish features: blue or green eyes, reddish hair, and pale skin. Irish people who have dark hair, brown eyes, and dark complexions are often referred to as Black Irish. In some places, immigrants from Ireland were sometimes referred to by this term, often in a derogatory way. It is even believed that there are some people who are not of Irish descent who have used this term to refer to themselves to hide their true ancestry.

Obscure meaning and origin

The true origin of this term may never be known. Its uses and meanings vary so widely that it may have been created in different places and times for different reasons. While it has often been used as an insult, many people proudly describe themselves or their ancestors as Black Irish.

Dark features
Throughout its history, the island of Ireland has been the destination of many waves of immigrants or invaders, including the Celts, Vikings, English and Scots. As these groups were assimilated into Irish society and intermingled with the island’s previous inhabitants, several physical characteristics became more common among the Irish. Many people believe that the term “Black Irish” was created to refer to those whose features were darker than those of typical Irish people, possibly due to ancestors who emigrated from Spain or Portugal.

Descendants of Spaniards

One theory of the origin of this term focuses on an event that occurred in 1588, when more than 20 ships carrying members of the Spanish Armada were wrecked off the coast of Ireland. Many of the men were killed in the wrecks and many of the survivors were put to death by Irish soldiers. A handful of survivors escaped to Scotland, but it is thought unlikely that any of them ever made it past Irish beaches and unlikely that any of them could have made any significant genetic contributions to the Irish people. It is considered more likely that a group of Spanish soldiers who served under Irish chiefs around the same time remained in the country long enough to father children.

African heritage

In the 1800s, many people believed that Irish people who had dark complexions were somehow related to Africans. Africans and people who had dark features were often looked down upon and considered inferior. In 1862, John Beddoe, an esteemed ethnologist, published Races of Britain, in which he described people of Celtic descent as having characteristics similar to those of African descent. The term “Black Irish” may have derived from this viewpoint.

sociopolitical origins

This term could also have social or political origins rather than being based on genetic history or appearance. Some people believe that the word “black”, in this case, refers to the “dark” intentions of groups of people who invaded Ireland, so their descendants could be referred to as black Irish. Another possibility is that poor immigrants from Ireland during the Great Famine of the late 1840s were referred to by this term in their new country. In Ireland, 1847 was called Black ’47 because thousands died of famine and disease, and people who emigrated from Ireland to escape these conditions might well have been called Black Irish. The term may also have originated in the West Indies, where some Catholics are believed to have used it to describe Protestant immigrants from Ireland.
Used by American Indians
Another possible origin of this term is that it was created by people who wanted to hide their true ancestry. For example, some American Indians, including the Cherokee, are believed to have described themselves as black Irish in the early 1800s to avoid being driven off their land. The term “Black Dutch” is also believed to have been used by American Indians for this purpose.

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