Very interesting, the black Irish..I was born and raised in Ireland, my father's family the O'Malleys of Westport, Co.Mayo had jet black hair and blue eyes, he married my mother, an O'Sullivan from West Cork and we, the family ended up with fair hair and green/blue eyes..you wonder. Personally, I've heard all my life it was the Armada theory, however, as an historian and professional Irish folk singer, I aggree with the theory of hundreds of years of trade with Spain and the rest of the Meditterranean. You never hear it mentioned in Ireland..TWLORD