Black Irish (old)

For the cocktail sometimes called a "Black Irish", see bolded entry in White Russian (cocktail)

The term black Irish (or Black Irish) is used differently in different regions.

Irish usage

In Ireland, the term black Irish has the literal connotation of Irish people with black African heritage. Famous black Irish people include soccer star Paul McGrath, musician Phil Lynott and pop-star Samantha Mumba. It is also used historically to refer to the poorest of Irish citizens, exclusive of those with African heritage.

List of black Irish people

Musicians

Samantha Mumba (singer)
Luke Thomas (singer)
Laura Isibor (singer)
Lucia Evans (singer)
Sharon Murphy (singer)
Evon Brennan (singer)
Mc Harry J (singer)
The Lace (band)
Dove (band)
Motema (band)
De Jimbe (band)
Sumu (band)
Elikya (band)
Salsa Brava (band)
Afro Celt Sound System (band)
The Elements (rap group)
Phil Lynott

Actors and actresses

Omero Mumba
Ruth Negga

Artists

Kevin Sharkey (painter)

Athletes

Paul McGrath (footballer)
Phil Babb (footballer)
Terry Phelan (footballer)
Chris Hughton (footballer)
Curtis Fleming (footballer)
Clinton Morrison (footballer)
Steven Reid (footballer)
Paul Olima (footballer)
Paul Osam (footballer)
Emeka Onwubiko (footballer)
Darren Randolph (footballer)
Lennie McMillian (basketball)
Marc Mukendi (footballer)
Stephen Kelly (footballer)
Alagie Faye (athletics)
Azmera Gebrezgi (athletics)
Leo Ibrahim (bodybuilder)
Sean Levey (horse jockey)
Norman Batanda (cricket)
Jerome Westbrooks (basketball)
Aaron Westbrooks (basketball)
Mike Mitchell (basketball)

Arts

Arambe Theatre (Black cultural theatre in Dublin)

US usage

The term Black Irish is sometimes used in the United States to refer to Irish people possessing dark skin and hair, purportedly due to Iberian ancestry. Numerous popular theories have been devised to explain the provenance and historical background of the Black Irish.

Popular theories on US usage

Despite the popular theory that the "Black Irish" are descended from survivors of the Spanish Armada, the genetic contributions of this group were actually insignificant, since most Armada survivors were killed on the beaches, and most of the remainder were able to eventually escape Ireland after a short time. A few Spanish soldiers ended up serving as armed retainers for the Irish chiefs O'Rourke, Sorley Boy Macdonnell, and Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone, so they might have lived in Ireland long enough to father children, but they were very few in number.

Some attribute these darker features to ancient Middle Eastern and Phoenician ancestors present in the ancient British Isles, though there is no genetic evidence to support these theories.

However, no distinct population group of "Black Irish" exists or ever existed. The myth of the Black Irish was coined in America to explain the existence of Irish people whose appearance did not conform to stereotypical images of what Irish people look like.

Other uses

The term has also been used to refer to the offspring of Irish and African slaves in the Caribbean, and many Irish surnames can still be found in the region. Montserrat is the Caribbean island with the greatest levels of Irish heritage as it was forcibly settled by the English crown using Irish slaves. These Irish slaves were eventually replaced by West African slaves who took on the names and surnames of the prior inhabitants, much as African slaves in the United States took on the names of their owners.

In the United States, people with Native American or other dark-skinned ancestry may historically have called themselves "Black Irish", "Black Dutch" or "Black German" to explain their coloring.

External links

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