My father was very fair with blue eyes as were the rest of his siblings. Yet his first cousin was "Dark to black hair, brown eyes and darker skin then the average Irishman. His cousin's daughter was taken for Italian while growing up in the Bronx. This article has been around for a while. When I first read it I wondered if any research was done to see if Hemochromatosis (Iron overload or Celtic genetic disorder) runs in this group. I hadn't seen a follow-up on it. Nora Hopkins FitzGerald Cherry of Cratloe Co. Clare and Brooklyn/Queens FitzGerald/Regan of Glenroe Co. Limerick and Ballinslea, Co. Cork and Brooklyn/Queens Grant/Morgan of Clonduff Parish Co. Down Grant of Pittsburgh, PA and NYC Hopkins of Crimlin, Castlebar Co. Mayo and NYC Morgan/Wood of Brown County, Ohio > > A fascinating article! My people came from Achill and were always > referred to as "black" Irish. Dark to black hair, brown eyes and darker > skin then the average Irishman. >