I will make an attempt. During the Spanish Armada it is believed by some that a ship sank. On this ship of Spanish soldiers that sank off the Irish Coast were 2 men by the name of Rea. Anyway, these soldiers or sailors made their way into Co. Down where they settled and married. Because they had very dark hair and eyes, their offspring are known as Black Irish. Now this has ben the subject of alot of discussions. It may or maynot be true. Marianne ----- Original Message ----- From: jean mccoy To: [email protected] Sent: 2/19/01 4:29:39 PM Subject: [IRL~CEMS] Black Irish Would someone mind explaining the term "Black Irish" to this Texan? Thanks, Jean [email protected] ==== IRELAND-CEMETERIES Mailing List ==== Always send your replies back through the list. Other people may be looking for the same information and your answer will be stored in the archives for future researchers. --- Mary Gallentine --- [email protected] --- EarthLink: It's your Internet.