Quote Originally Posted by cormacmacguardhe
As to the "Black Irish" term, I understood it to refer to people in Ireland who had ancestors who were survivors of the Spanish Armada, the black refers to the fact that they had darker hair and brown eyes.
I have heard it referred to the people who were decendants from the spanish saliors. I also understood that it refers to those people who had the "gift", or where "Fey". I also have heard that it was an american term when people saw irish people that did not fit the red hair stereotype, they called the black haired ones as the "black irish".

so it has many meanings... but maybe someone else has another idea