What does the term 'black Irish' mean? Does it mean African-Irish, or something else?

Answer 1

When England defeated the Spanish Armada some of the Spanish ships sunk or were shipwrecked around the coast of Ireland. Many Spanish sailors survived and integrated with the local Irish, they married local girls and passed on their Mediterranean look, dark hair and eyes strengthening the Irish gene pool.

Answer 2

The term Black Irish is a term used by some descendants of Irish emigrants to describe their ancestors. The term is found in Australia, Canada, Great Britain and the United States. It refers to the possessing of dark hair and eyes as opposed to the caricature of Irish people with red hair, pale skin, and blue or green eyes, a difference which is possibly due to less Scandinavian or Germanic ancestry being found in people on the west of Ireland [1]. The term is often accompanied by a claim that the darker features are due to Iberian descent

Answer 3

Black Irish is a euphemism dating back to the defeat of the Spanish Armada. Hundreds of Spanish marines and sailors took refuge on the Irish Coast to avoid capture by the English. The Irish, because of their long-standing hatred of the English, gave them shelter and protection. Eventually, many of them mixed with the lighter skinned Irish, and a strain of Irish with darker skin, dark eyes, and dark hair arose among the fair skinned native Irish. This recessive trait was termed Dark Irish--or, because of the association of the Spanish with the Moors (considered black-skinned)--Black Irish. That is the term that stuck. B.

Answer 4

Black Irish means an Irish person with Black looking hair, very dark hair and dark eyes. Instead of lighter hair and blue or gray eyes.

Answer 5

"Black Irish" is often taken to mean Irish people with dark hair and eyes.

Neither "black" or "shanty" are used much in Ireland. They seem to be mainly used in America.

Answer 6

It is in reference to hair color, and there are several stories behind it. One, is that the Black Irish are decendents of survivors of the Spanish Armada who came ashore in southern Ireland. Another one I've heard is that they are decendents of Irish who intermarried with Native Americans in this country. To be honest, I don't know which is true, if either.

Answer 7

I once had a friend who was"Black Irish." He explained that it had to do with the black hair, not the red hair people like to usually associate with Ireland. It has nothing to do with Africa.

Answer 8

My grandmother called my mom "black Irish", She had black hair and green eyes.

Answer 9

it is in reference to hair and eye color

bark brown even black hair and dark drown eyes, and the white skin color you expect in an Irishman.

Oh and I know my husband qualifies

Answer 10

sure