By Kathy Hughes
Contributing Writer
Being Irish can be both a blessing and a burden — not a curse, but a truckload of contradictions, at least for some of us. Terms such as “Scots-Irish” and all the “blacks” — “black Irish, black (Irish) humor, “black (Irish) heart” — reflect the conflicts and negativity associated with being Irish.
My own heritage included both the Protestant Scots-Irish from my maternal ancestors and the Roman Catholic, black Irish on my paternal side. The two are at odds not only on a geographic level, but on a cultural level as well.
First off, I should clarify the term “black Irish.” It does not, as many assume, reflect African heritage, but a swarthy, olive skinned heredity, legendarily of Spanish origin, dating back two centuries or more. Just as there are dark haired, brown eyed and olive skinned Irish, there are red haired, light eyed and fair skinned (even freckled) Spaniards. As might be imagined, this is likely the result of ancient migratory and trade patterns, as well as the more traditional reference to war — specifically the destruction of the Spanish Armada in 1588.
One goal left in my life is to locate and contact any living relatives left on the Emerald Isle, who, at best, would be distant cousins. Presumably, relatives from my mother’s side would be found in Northern Ireland, home to the Scots-Irish. Subsequent to England’s separation from the Roman church, they grew increasingly wary of their Irish subjects, who, though forbidden to worship as Roman Catholics and vastly outnumbered their English overlords, they were known to remain loyal to their church. The solution was to import Protestants from Scotland, who became known as the Scots-Irish.
Though there is an image of the “fighting Irish,” the Irish never conquered anyone. Instead, their battles were with each other (clan warfare), or against foreign invaders. Over the centuries, Ireland was subject to three major invasions: the Vikings, the Normans (French), and the English. They were vanquished and subjugated by each, though they fought fiercely and never gave in; continuing until modern times, the conflict has resulted in the creation of two Irelands: Northern Ireland (part of the United Kingdom) and the Republic of Ireland.
Great numbers of the Scots-Irish migrated to America beginning in the 1600s, while those predominantly Catholic Irish who immigrated came in several waves and much later, predominantly in the 1800s. The Irish population living in what is now the Republic experienced confiscation of their lands, denial of education — which prevented their participation in the economy as well as social mobility — armed conflict, and famine.
In general, Irish immigrants to America have prospered, and thousands, if not millions, of us look to Ireland with nostalgia and idealism. Researchers of their Irish roots, like myself, seek an ultimate family reunion, generally expecting to be welcomed with open arms. As far as I can discover from anecdotal accounts, a warm, enthusiastic welcome is what happens.
However, I advise all my fellow prodigal returnees to proceed with caution, and to keep in mind that many of those who remained suffered immense deprivation and hardship. We must respect the fact that our questions about our relatives’ life stories, and our desires to visit the old homestead, may be interpreted as reflecting an attitude of superiority and a desire to lay claim to a heritage which our ancestors renounced for most purposes. Other of our ancestors participated in the confiscation of properties, while both sides waged tactics of terror upon the other.
