What exactly is Black Irish? (German, Africa, pictures, blue)
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That is a very good summary. It is from an site for Irish-Americans and based in the US. A good article explaining how the term might "Black" is used.
My Grandmother who is long gone used to call Northern Ireland the "Black" North and also used the term "Black Protestant". In the past in Ireland when people were very staunchly Catholic that is one of the uses of Black that I'm aware of. Of course people in Ireland are a bit more enlightened now.
The fact of the matter is that the term is only used in America and this is where it originated from. Irish people don't use the term because people with dark hair and dark eyes are not an isolated population but mixed in with all the other characteristics that Irish people portray. It is a random combination like blond hair and blue eyes in a family or red hair and green eyes. It is not uncommon to see one family with all these combinations.
People don't seem to understand that in any population you have a range of colouring. Who would fit the term of "Black Irish"? I presume someone like Colin Farrell. If Colin Farrell had his dna tested and like most Irish his ancestry is majority Irish his dna would be the same as someone like Saoirse Ronan who has a more fair colouring.
It's not like these so called "Black Irish" have different features than other Irish people. It is just a nonsensical term. Why isn't there "Black English" or "Black Norwegians"?
Anyway the more standard characteristics of "Black Irish" that I've read about is black hair, pale skin and blue eyes.
Bernie
In the US is different. Black Irish (Black Germans, Gypsies, etc) is a catch-all word to "hide" non palatable origins at that time, Indian, Black, Melungeon, etc.
In the US is different. Black Irish (Black Germans, Gypsies, etc) is a catch-all word to "hide" non palatable origins at that time, Indian, Black, Melungeon, etc.
Not necessarily. You're making some pretty sweeping generalizations.
We KNOW for instance, that my ancestors came over FROM GERMANY and were called "Black Dutch" before they moved FROM Pennsylvania to South Carolina. Now -I'm not saying that they couldn't have picked up some exotic mixtures along the way, but they had been called Black Dutch for a long time...and not only were they not black - they weren't even Dutch! (Like I said, after they moved to SC they may have picked up some other stuff - I'll find out when I get my 23andme results back.)
In the writing forum, there's a thread about the word swarthy, where some take issue with its use and think it should be one of the words no longer used. Plenty of others disagree. If interested, it's easily found by searching the forum.
Bernie, not sure if you've ever heard of Irish soul musician Laura Izibor as she's half Nigerian (father) and half Irish (mother) as i'd say that qualifies her as Black Irish.
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