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Black Irish is a traditional term commonly used among
Irish American communities; it ascribes to a dark brown or black hair
phenotype appearing in
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.
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The term 'Black Irish' is ambiguous and not frequently used in everyday conversation. People from different locales and at alternate junctures in history have coined it for varying reasons. Likewise, there are those whose opinions differ as to the typical physical characteristics of so-called Black Irish: e.g., dark hair, brown eyes, and medium skin tone; or dark hair, blue or green eyes, and fair skin tone.
More recently, genetic studies have provided new insights into the heritage of Irish people as well as their neighbors from the
British Isles. Researchers suggest that migrations from
Prehistoric Iberia can be viewed as the primary source for their genetic material, having demonstrated marked similarities with modern representatives of the aforementioned time period in that of the
Basque people. Proponents of these findings dismiss the influence of better known historic migrations of Roman, Anglo-Saxon, and Norman invaders as having had a lesser impact on overall genetics of the populations."
Black Irish - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia