Dare To Ask Talk And News About Our Differences - This topic has 34 replies, 35 voices, and was last updated 17 years, 10 months ago by
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Absolutely True. The Spanish Armada story may explain a small part of the reason why there are ‘Black Irish’ but in truth the majority of Spaniards/Portuguese migrated to Ireland for far less dramatic reasons such as better opportunities there for fishing and farming that was then available in Spain. Also the strong Catholic cultural bond between the two countries and the mutual loathing of all things English brought the two countries into close contact with each other frequently throughout the centuries, developing a whole sub-culture of ‘Black Irish’ in Ireland and not a small amount of migration of Irish folks to Spain (ever hear of South American 19th century freedom fighter Bernardo O’Higgins?). Another thought: I don’t know if Black Irish is offensive to that community or not, does anyone know ?
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Name : Phil, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Episcopalian, Age : 34, City : Philadelphia, State : PA, Country : United States, Occupation : telecommunications, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,It’s an urban legend. The term Black Irish came about because of the mass Irish imigration to America during the 19th century to escape the Black blight, or the potato famine as it is better known. The Irish immagrants picked up the name Black Irish and it stuck.
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Name : Larry, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Christian, Age : 55, City : Amarillo, State : TX, Country : United States, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,That’s an urban legend. The origins of that term are a mystery, though it seems to be an American Irish deal since nobody I met in Ireland heard of the term. Ireland has descendents of Gaels, Normans, Vikings, Anglos and a smattering of Jutes. So just like every European country, there are people with all kinds of hair color. I’m half Irish and my black hair comes from the Irish side. I have no Spanish ancestors. The number of Spanish sailors who would have landed in Ireland after the Armada defeat would have been minimal and not enough to spawn an entire mini-race of black-haired Irish people. And not all Spanish people have black hair, either.
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Name : T, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Catholic, Age : 34, City : Detroit, State : MI, Country : United States, Occupation : journalist, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,To my knowledge this is nothing but an urban legend but that is only because they have found no proof of any Spanish ships sinking. I saw something on the History Channel about it. There is another source for the name Black Irish but I cannot recall what it is. I am sure you can find more imformation on the topic online or in books.
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Name : Kari, Gender : F, Race : American Indian, Age : 19, City : Seattle, State : WA, Country : United States,I don’t think it’s true. In 1587 the English navy beat the Spanish Armada in the water between Ireland and England. Some survivors washed up on both sides, but most were captured, robbed and killed. The few that lived and got down with the local Colleens probably didn’t make too much of a genetic impact.
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Name : Teague, Gender : M, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Christian, Age : 28, City : Portland, State : OR, Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper class,No, that’s not an urban legend, it’s definetly true. That’s why, in Charlie’s Angel’s 2 it was funny when Bosley said he was Black Irish.
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Name : Stacie, Gender : F, City : Toledo, State : OH, Country : United States,My mother is from Ireland and I’ve visited there once. Have alot of family from and still living In Ireland. All of us are proud of our Irish Heritage. I’ve heard the term Black Irish. And heard basically the same theory. My hair is naturally black, skin very fair, lots of freckles, and brown eyes. Most cousins, different grandfather, are all red heads with green eyes. Have heard this is because my grandfather descended from ‘Black Irish’ spaniards and cousins did not.
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Name : Kim Ellis, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Christian, Age : 44, City : Naples, State : FL, Country : United States, Occupation : Real Estate Agent, Education level : High School Diploma, Social class : Upper middle class,I am Irish and someone once called me a ‘Black Irish’. When I asked what it meant they said it was because I had black hair. I thought that was weird because I know a lot of Irish people with black hair. I have also heard the myth that you talk about in relation to my last name, which is Costello. People have told me that it sounds Spanish and have relayed this story to me, but I have no idea if it is true.
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Name : A. Costello, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 22, City : Old Bridge, State : NJ, Country : United States, Occupation : Student, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,There are no black irish in the sense that you’re probably thinking of, sub-saharran african type looking people other than of course immigrants from other countries to there who are naturalizing but still not irish ethnically
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Name : Ashley23502, City : Pasco, State : WA, Country : United States,I always heard that ‘black’ Irish is darker haired Irish. Light Irish are the blonde/red-heads with green eyes. I have brown hait and blue eyes and I’m considered ‘black Irish.’ I think.
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Name : M-Rose, Gender : F, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Catholic, Age : 19, City : KC, State : MO, Country : United States,C., you are right that did happen, although I have never heard them called Black Irish. Generally, those Irish are from the southern coastal counties. Some of my friends’ families are from those parts of Ireland, and they have the pale Irish skin and dark curly hair. They look very European. Don’t forget that the men that sailed during the Armada in 1588 were from Spain, and look like Italians. For some reason others who have asked this question think that the Spainards looked like American Latinos, who generally are darker than people from Spain, due to Native American influences in their ancestry.
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Name : IKnow, City : Chicago, State : IL, Country : United States,Actually I belive the term refers to hair color not skin tone.
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Name : Sizzle, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 38, City : San Francisco, State : CA, Country : United States, Occupation : Accountant, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,Wether or not this is true, I do not know, however I do know that I am a white girl who’s family is from ireland and I have the hair of a black girl. Both my parents are white, and their parents are white. Where my hair came from, i don’t know. Am I the only one in my family like this? No. Many of my relatives have the hair too.
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Name : Jessica G., Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Christian, Age : 24, City : Greenville, State : SC, Country : United States, Education level : High School Diploma, Social class : Lower middle class,It’s true…Catherine Zeta Jones is a good example of a woman from such stock
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Name : Kate, Gender : F, Age : 26, City : Jersey City, State : NJ, Country : United States,I think ‘Black Irish’ refers to the Irish with really fair skin, but coal-black hair. Some PBS program I was watching a while back was saying that red-hair is less prevalent in Ireland today than it is amongst Irish-Americans. They said it was because of the ‘Potato Famine’. The fair-haired Irish lived away from the coast where potatos were a staple food and were the ones most likely to emmigrate to America to avoid starvation. The Irish on the coast weren’t as likely to emmigrate as they had access to abundant seafood. The coastal Irish tended to be darker haired as their ancestry including more mixing with Spanish and other foreign sailors.
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Name : Kyle, Gender : M, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 36, City : Chicago, State : IL, Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,
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