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{{Short description|Mythical ethnic group}}
{{About|an ethnonym|Black citizens of Ireland|Black people in Ireland}}
Black Irish is a traditional term believed to have originated in the United States that commonly ascribes to a dark brown or black hair phenotype appearing in Caucasian people of [[Irish]] descent. This can be distinguished in contrast to the (lighter) [[brown]], [[blond]] or [[red]] hair color variant, the latter stereotypically perceived to personify the look of typical Irish folk. The term itself is rather ambiguous and not frequently used in everyday conversation. As such, the description of those it depicts has been known to vary to a degree in that some have differing views on which physical characteristics (e.g., dark hair, brown eyes, medium skin tone or dark hair, blue eyes, pale skin tone) best define the appearance of the so-called Black Irish.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081206062225/http://www.darkfiber.com/blackirish/bicomments.html}}</ref>
==Origin==
The first clear evidence of human habitation in [[Ireland]] has been carbon dated to circa 7000 B.C.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.amazon.com/Search-Ancient-Ireland-Neolithic-English/dp/1561310727}}</ref> Written records authenticating the existence of primordial peoples have yet to be discovered, but legends, such as those described in the Book of Invasions, refer to a number of historical ethnic groups, including the Fomorians, Nemedians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha Dé Danann, and Milesians. Despite the lack of empirical data linking them to the Irish, one or more of these races have been acknowledged in previous and current ancestral studies, such as Dennis O'Mullally's History of O'Mullally and Lally Clan, or The history of an Irish family through the ages entertwined with that of the Irish nation, <ref>{{cite web |url=https://archive.org/details/historyofomullal00omul}}</ref> wherein the author points to the Fir Bolg as "the aboriginal people of [[Ireland]], smaller in stature than the [[Gaels]], with jet-black hair and dark eyes, contrasting with unusually white skin." Likewise, while such observations remain devoid of scientific backing, recent advances in genetics continue to offer more clues.
==Iberian Connection==
The term 'Black Irish' is also sometimes accompanied by claims suggesting the aforementioned physical traits to be the result of an Iberian admixture originating with survivors of the [[Spanish Armada]].
The Spanish Armada myth is thought to have been a corruption of a story based on the [[Milesians]] (not to be confused with the ancient Greek people of the same name), the purported descendants of Míl Espáine (Latin Miles Hispaniae, "Soldier of Hispania", later pseudo-Latinised as "Milesius"), speculated to represent Celtic-speaking peoples from the western Iberian peninsula who began to migrate to Ireland and Britain in the fifth century B.C. <ref>{{cite web |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090125141706/http://www.darkfiber.com/blackirish/}}</ref> Genetic research also shows a strong similarity between the Y chromosome haplotypes of males from northwestern Spain and Irish males with Gaelic surnames, <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1182057/?tool=pubmed}}</ref> with a sizeable difference between the west and the east of Ireland, in that much of those from the west owe less of their DNA to Anglo-Saxon and Scandinavian populations. Genetic marker R1b reaches frequencies as high as 98% in northwestern Ireland and 95% in southwestern Ireland,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090130015256/http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~gallgaedhil/haplo_r1b_amh_13_29.htm}}</ref> but drops to 73% in northeastern Ireland and 85% in southeastern Ireland. Additionally, R1b averages between 89% and 95% in Y chromosomes of the [[Basques]] of northern Spain (and southwestern France) considerably greater than levels of the same haplogroup found amongst the remaining Spanish genepool, where it varies from region to region in a range from 42% to 75%, but mostly with percentages in the 50s and 60s <ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/1256894.stm}}</ref> <ref>{{cite web |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090205071837/http://www.scs.uiuc.edu/~mcdonald/WorldHaplogroupsMaps.pdf}}</ref> <ref>{{cite web |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090205213040/http://hpgl.stanford.edu/publications/EJHG_2004_v12_p855.pdf}}</ref>
In recently published books (Blood of the Isles by Bryan Sykes and The Origins of the British - A Genetic Detective Story by [[Stephen Oppenheimer]]), both authors propose that ancient inhabitants of Ireland can be traced back to the Iberian Peninsula, as a result of a series of migrations that took place during the Mesolithic and to a lesser extent the Neolithic Age. These movements theoretically laid the foundations for present-day populations in the British Isles.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081221161421/http://www.prospect-magazine.co.uk/article_details.php?id=7817}}</ref> <ref>{{cite web |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090110045407/http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/ViewArticle.aspx?articleid=2812146}}</ref> According to journalist Nicholas Wade, Oppenheimer maintains there is a great lineal commonality between the Irish and British people, as reported in the March 6, 2007 edition of the New York Times. Oppenheimer also advances the controversial claim that a language closely related to [[Basques|Basque]] was long ago spoken by their shared ancestors. <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/06/science/06brits.html}}</ref>
==Fictional References==
In the [[NBC]] series [[The Black Donnellys]], Joey Ice Cream, narrator and one of the main characters, indirectly refers to himself and unspecified Donnelly brothers as Black Irish. Joey cites a story told by his grandmother which asserted that Ireland was originally inhabited by a "dark haired race of people" whom the invading Celts attacked, but failed to wipe out.
In the [[NBC]] Series [[30 Rock]], [[Conan O'Brien]] refers to Jack Donaghy as Black Irish.
Ryan O'Reily, on the [[HBO]] series Oz, describes himself as Black Irish, and convinces Sean Murphy, a corrections officer, to befriend him by pointing out that they are both Black Irish. Murphy responds that they are "as black as they come."
==Other Instances==
In the United States, whites with Native American, African American, or other non-white ancestry may historically have called themselves "Black Irish," "Black Dutch," or "Black German" as a reflection of their coloring, and to conceal their origins.
In the early to mid-20th century, the myth of the Black Irish was used occasionally by [[Aboriginal Australians]] in order to [[Passing (racial identity)|racially pass]] themselves into white Australian society.<ref> {{cite journal |last1=Karen |first1=Hughes |date=2017 |title=Mobilising across colour lines: Intimate encounters between Aboriginal women and African American and other allied servicemen on the World War II Australian home front |url=https://www.proquest.com/openview/5e898beabb25aebee88288f5f9d1d916/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=5048050 |journal=Aboriginal History |volume=41 |issue= |pages=47–70 |doi= 10.22459/AH.41.2017.03|access-date=|doi-access=free }}</ref>
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In the 21st century, "Black Irish" is now more commonly used to refer to Irish nationals of African descent. As of 2016, 10,100 Irish nationals of African descent living in the Republic of Ireland referred to themselves as "Black Irish" in the national census.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/ep/p-cp8iter/p8iter/p8e/ |title=Census of Population 2016 – Profile 8 Irish Travellers, Ethnicity and Religion |last= |first= |date= |website= |publisher= |access-date=30 January 2022 |quote=There were 10,100 dual Irish nationals who identified themselves as 'Black or Black Irish – African', the largest group of which was Irish-Nigerian nationals (6,683 persons).}}</ref> Figures such as [[Phil Lynott]] are described by Irish national media sources as "Black Irish".<ref>{{cite news |last=Hann |first=Michael |date=2 November 2020 |title=Thin Lizzy members on the band's rise and fall: 'Heroin was the worst mistake we made' |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/music/thin-lizzy-members-on-the-band-s-rise-and-fall-heroin-was-the-worst-mistake-we-made-1.4397445 |newspaper=[[The Irish Times]] |location= |access-date= |quote=And in Lynott, the black Irish cowboy with the will of a warrior and the heart of a romantic, they had one of the great frontmen}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.hotpress.com/opinion/niall-stokes-on-philip-lynott-music-and-racism-in-ireland-22817707 |title=Niall Stokes on Philip Lynott, Music and Racism in Ireland |last=Stokes |first=Niall |date=8 June 2020 |website=[[Hot Press]] |publisher= |access-date= |quote=and in anticipation of what would have been the 70th birthday of the great, black Irish rock star, Philip Lynott}}</ref>
==References==
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[[Category:Historical definitions of race]]
[[Category:Irish-American history]]
|
Revision as of 04:20, 9 September 2023
Black Irish is a traditional term believed to have originated in the United States that commonly ascribes to a dark brown or black hair phenotype appearing in Caucasian people of Irish descent. This can be distinguished in contrast to the (lighter) brown, blond or red hair color variant, the latter stereotypically perceived to personify the look of typical Irish folk. The term itself is rather ambiguous and not frequently used in everyday conversation. As such, the description of those it depicts has been known to vary to a degree in that some have differing views on which physical characteristics (e.g., dark hair, brown eyes, medium skin tone or dark hair, blue eyes, pale skin tone) best define the appearance of the so-called Black Irish.[1]
Origin
The first clear evidence of human habitation in Ireland has been carbon dated to circa 7000 B.C.[2] Written records authenticating the existence of primordial peoples have yet to be discovered, but legends, such as those described in the Book of Invasions, refer to a number of historical ethnic groups, including the Fomorians, Nemedians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha Dé Danann, and Milesians. Despite the lack of empirical data linking them to the Irish, one or more of these races have been acknowledged in previous and current ancestral studies, such as Dennis O'Mullally's History of O'Mullally and Lally Clan, or The history of an Irish family through the ages entertwined with that of the Irish nation, [3] wherein the author points to the Fir Bolg as "the aboriginal people of Ireland, smaller in stature than the Gaels, with jet-black hair and dark eyes, contrasting with unusually white skin." Likewise, while such observations remain devoid of scientific backing, recent advances in genetics continue to offer more clues.
Iberian Connection
The term 'Black Irish' is also sometimes accompanied by claims suggesting the aforementioned physical traits to be the result of an Iberian admixture originating with survivors of the Spanish Armada. The Spanish Armada myth is thought to have been a corruption of a story based on the Milesians (not to be confused with the ancient Greek people of the same name), the purported descendants of Míl Espáine (Latin Miles Hispaniae, "Soldier of Hispania", later pseudo-Latinised as "Milesius"), speculated to represent Celtic-speaking peoples from the western Iberian peninsula who began to migrate to Ireland and Britain in the fifth century B.C. [4] Genetic research also shows a strong similarity between the Y chromosome haplotypes of males from northwestern Spain and Irish males with Gaelic surnames, [5] with a sizeable difference between the west and the east of Ireland, in that much of those from the west owe less of their DNA to Anglo-Saxon and Scandinavian populations. Genetic marker R1b reaches frequencies as high as 98% in northwestern Ireland and 95% in southwestern Ireland,[6] but drops to 73% in northeastern Ireland and 85% in southeastern Ireland. Additionally, R1b averages between 89% and 95% in Y chromosomes of the Basques of northern Spain (and southwestern France) considerably greater than levels of the same haplogroup found amongst the remaining Spanish genepool, where it varies from region to region in a range from 42% to 75%, but mostly with percentages in the 50s and 60s [7] [8] [9] In recently published books (Blood of the Isles by Bryan Sykes and The Origins of the British - A Genetic Detective Story by Stephen Oppenheimer), both authors propose that ancient inhabitants of Ireland can be traced back to the Iberian Peninsula, as a result of a series of migrations that took place during the Mesolithic and to a lesser extent the Neolithic Age. These movements theoretically laid the foundations for present-day populations in the British Isles.[10] [11] According to journalist Nicholas Wade, Oppenheimer maintains there is a great lineal commonality between the Irish and British people, as reported in the March 6, 2007 edition of the New York Times. Oppenheimer also advances the controversial claim that a language closely related to Basque was long ago spoken by their shared ancestors. [12]
Fictional References
In the NBC series The Black Donnellys, Joey Ice Cream, narrator and one of the main characters, indirectly refers to himself and unspecified Donnelly brothers as Black Irish. Joey cites a story told by his grandmother which asserted that Ireland was originally inhabited by a "dark haired race of people" whom the invading Celts attacked, but failed to wipe out.
In the NBC Series 30 Rock, Conan O'Brien refers to Jack Donaghy as Black Irish.
Ryan O'Reily, on the HBO series Oz, describes himself as Black Irish, and convinces Sean Murphy, a corrections officer, to befriend him by pointing out that they are both Black Irish. Murphy responds that they are "as black as they come."
Other Instances
In the United States, whites with Native American, African American, or other non-white ancestry may historically have called themselves "Black Irish," "Black Dutch," or "Black German" as a reflection of their coloring, and to conceal their origins.
In the early to mid-20th century, the myth of the Black Irish was used occasionally by Aboriginal Australians in order to racially pass themselves into white Australian society.[13]
In the 1950s, Malcolm X of the Nation of Islam would occasionally assert, alongside claiming Italians were descended from Carthaginian Africans and the Spanish were descended from the Moors, that the Irish were also of Black descent by invoking the Black Irish myth.[14]
In the 21st century, "Black Irish" is now more commonly used to refer to Irish nationals of African descent. As of 2016, 10,100 Irish nationals of African descent living in the Republic of Ireland referred to themselves as "Black Irish" in the national census.[15] Figures such as Phil Lynott are described by Irish national media sources as "Black Irish".[16][17]
References
- ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20081206062225/http://www.darkfiber.com/blackirish/bicomments.html.
{{cite web}}
: Missing or empty|title=
(help) - ^ https://www.amazon.com/Search-Ancient-Ireland-Neolithic-English/dp/1561310727.
{{cite web}}
: Missing or empty|title=
(help) - ^ https://archive.org/details/historyofomullal00omul.
{{cite web}}
: Missing or empty|title=
(help) - ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20090125141706/http://www.darkfiber.com/blackirish/.
{{cite web}}
: Missing or empty|title=
(help) - ^ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1182057/?tool=pubmed.
{{cite web}}
: Missing or empty|title=
(help) - ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20090130015256/http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~gallgaedhil/haplo_r1b_amh_13_29.htm.
{{cite web}}
: Missing or empty|title=
(help) - ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/1256894.stm.
{{cite web}}
: Missing or empty|title=
(help) - ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20090205071837/http://www.scs.uiuc.edu/~mcdonald/WorldHaplogroupsMaps.pdf.
{{cite web}}
: Missing or empty|title=
(help) - ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20090205213040/http://hpgl.stanford.edu/publications/EJHG_2004_v12_p855.pdf.
{{cite web}}
: Missing or empty|title=
(help) - ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20081221161421/http://www.prospect-magazine.co.uk/article_details.php?id=7817.
{{cite web}}
: Missing or empty|title=
(help) - ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20090110045407/http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/ViewArticle.aspx?articleid=2812146.
{{cite web}}
: Missing or empty|title=
(help) - ^ https://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/06/science/06brits.html.
{{cite web}}
: Missing or empty|title=
(help) - ^ Karen, Hughes (2017). "Mobilising across colour lines: Intimate encounters between Aboriginal women and African American and other allied servicemen on the World War II Australian home front". Aboriginal History. 41: 47–70. doi:10.22459/AH.41.2017.03.
- ^ "Malcolm X and United States Policies towards Africa: A Qualitative Analysis of His Black Nationalism and Peace through Power and Coercion Paradigms" (PDF). Africology: The Journal of Pan African Studies. 9 (4). July 2016.
- ^ "Census of Population 2016 – Profile 8 Irish Travellers, Ethnicity and Religion". Retrieved 30 January 2022.
There were 10,100 dual Irish nationals who identified themselves as 'Black or Black Irish – African', the largest group of which was Irish-Nigerian nationals (6,683 persons).
- ^ Hann, Michael (2 November 2020). "Thin Lizzy members on the band's rise and fall: 'Heroin was the worst mistake we made'". The Irish Times.
And in Lynott, the black Irish cowboy with the will of a warrior and the heart of a romantic, they had one of the great frontmen
- ^ Stokes, Niall (8 June 2020). "Niall Stokes on Philip Lynott, Music and Racism in Ireland". Hot Press.
and in anticipation of what would have been the 70th birthday of the great, black Irish rock star, Philip Lynott