Black Irish (folklore)

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In the United States, the term "Black Irish" was initially used in the 19th century to derogatorily describe Irish refugees of the Great Famine. It later shifted into a term used to describe people of Irish descent who have black or dark brown hair and olive skin. This meaning is not commonly used in Ireland, where "Black Irish" more refers to Irish people of sub-Saharan African descent. The most common use of the term "Black Irish" is tied to the myth that they were descended from Spanish sailors shipwrecked during the Spanish Armada of 1588. However, no anthropological, historical, or genetic research supports this story. Some theorists assert that the term was adopted in some cases by Irish Americans who wanted to conceal interracial unions with African Americans, paralleling the phrase "Black Dutch" which was also used in the United States to hide racial identity. Likewise, the concept of "Black Irish" was also used by some Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islanders to racially...

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