[Cowboy Bob]

Are you sure? I thought the "Black Irish" were the original Paleolithic population, and that the red and blond hair came from the Celts.

My understanding was that the "Black Irish" were the descendants of those who intermarried with the Spanish that survived the sinking of the Armada off the coast a few hundred years ago.

[To Hell With Poverty]

Actually, I'd heard that "black Irish" was a derogatory term for Italians, who immigrated to the US after the Irish did. A mean reference to their olive complexion and the fact that they were initially as unwelcome here as the Irish were.