If you're "Black Irish" are you considered spanish?

Question

could you say that you're irish and spanish?

Answer 1

No, it only means that you're of Irish ancestry, but have dark or black hair.

Answer 2

No!!! It means you're Irish and you have black hair!!!

Jeesh!!!

P.S. Zeta-Jones is 1/2 Welsh 1/2 Irish.

The largest percentage of DNA of the British Isles is actually the same as that of the Iberian Peninsula, particularly the Basques. The Britons and Gaels were/are only Celtic in culture and language, not DNA... Which means peoples of the British Isles are predominately Paleolithic in genetic origin.

Answer 3

I agree with the 1st post - you have spanish heritage down the line, but are Irish.

Answer 4

Um... No.

Answer 5

It just means you have dark hair

Answer 6

The term "Black Irish" is kind of urban legend.. no one is going to have the same definition, or there is nothing to prove that one definition is more correct than the other.

You can say you have Irish ancestors, as long as you know and have proof by name and that they were from/ in Ireland. If you have similiar PROOF of a Spanish ancestor, you can say you have Spanish heritage.  You do NOT have proof of either one, just because someone used the term Black Irish.

Answer 7

The term "black Irish" is a misnomer and is almost unheard of outside of the US,

It is extremely unlikely that members of the Spanish Armada could have made a strong enough genetic contribution to the people of Ireland giving rise to the "Black Irish" myth. Any Spanish survivors beaching from the shipwrecks were slaughtered on the spot by soldiers, or local people, out of fear, and any that escaped that fate were taken prisoner and later returned to Spain in a deal between the English and Spanish authorities. There is no evidence whatsoever, anywhere, to support the theory, no birth or death records, no Spanish names, no Spaniards researching their genealogy back to Ireland, not even local oral history ! Absolutely nothing in support !

So the answer to your question is a resounding No !

Edit : q2tango

Catherine Zeta Jones is Welsh, not Irish !

Answer 8

No, you're considered Irish, but there may be some Spanish in your background. Or, technically, some Moorish, because that's where the dark coloring came from in Spain.

Answer 9

You have to consider the Anglo Normans invaded Ireland and though they were forbidden to marry Irish, adopt Irish customs, speak the Irish language, they did any way. It has been said they became more Irish than the Irish themselves.  Names like Burke, Costello, Fitzgerald etc are of Norman origin.  

The Normans were originally Scandinavians.  They settled in the area of France that became known as Normandy. Naturally if they intermarried with the darker French population the darker traits would be dominant.  The Normans that invaded England have been called tall, dark, French speaking Vikings.  There is Norman among my paternal grandmother's heritage and she had the dark hair and dark eyes.  See the link below of my grandmother (she was born in 1885).  Would you consider her Black Irish?

http://s254.photobucket.com/albums/hh97/...

Also, there is a legend that the Celts that came to Ireland were in Spain for awhile then in Eqypt for about 100 years.  

Some state they believe the red hair of the Irish and the Scots came from the Vikings not the Celts.  However, I am not so sure about that as red hair is not a very prominent trait among Scandinavians.

Answer 10

Black Irish-think Catherine Zeta Jones. Dark hair fair skinned

Irish-think Conan O' Brien. Red hair fair skin.

Shirley has her history right-the Norman influence is behind the dark hair.  I am of fine Irish stock and out of all the cousins, I am the only one with the dark hair!