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It depends on who and where you ask. According to the oft-quoted Straight Dope, the term "Black Irish" is mostly used in America and is typically an innocent reference to those of Irish descent who have dark hair and features. Most residents of the Emerald Isle aren't familiar with the term. While that's as far as most folks go with the reference, others have more romantic notions as to why some Irish sport dark hair. Some have used "Black Irish" as an ethnic designation -- speculating that these doe-eyed Irish are the descendants of shipwrecked sailors from the Spanish Armada. Some slightly charged theories trace the term to the British West Indies and the
mulatto offspring of 17th-century Irish emigrants and African slaves of Montserrat, also known as the "Emerald Isle of the Caribbean." Another theory says the term has been used by Irish Catholics to describe the Protestants of Ireland who historically have supported British rule of their nation. You can read what others have to say on this topic of Irish genealogy, or join the Black Irish mailing list to unravel the mystery.
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