To celebrate Black History Month, we’re going to take a look at the ten most famous black Irish people of all time and their achievements.
October is Black History Month, an annual observance originating in the United States that celebrates important people and events in the history of the African diaspora.
While it is officially recognised in both the US and Canada, it has been observed more recently in Ireland and the UK.
As such, let’s take a look through history at some of the most famous black Irish people and why we should celebrate them this Black History Month.
- To celebrate Black History Month, we’re going to take a look at the ten most famous black Irish people of all time and their achievements.
- 10. Phil Lynott – one of Ireland’s greatest musicians
- 9. Rhasidat Adeleke – Irish athlete
- 8. Paul McGrath – one of Ireland’s greatest footballers
- 7. Samantha Mumba – famous Irish singer
- 6. Chris Hughton – made history in Irish football
- 5. Christine Buckley – an important Irish activist
- 4. Ruth Negga – a celebrated Irish actress
- 3. Kwame Ampadu – an Irish footballer
- 2. Fionnghuala O’Reilly – a black Irish woman who made history
- 1. Ifrah Ahmed – a Somali-Irish activist
10. Phil Lynott – one of Ireland’s greatest musicians
Founder and frontrunner of Thin Lizzy, Phil Lynott, is arguably one of Ireland’s greatest musicians of all time. Born in England to an Irish mother and a father from former British Guiana, Lynott was sent to live in Crumlin, Dublin, after experiencing racism.
At the age of 20, Lynott formed the band, and Thin Lizzy would go on to be a bridge between the north and the south of Ireland, as well as a uniting of Protestants and Catholics in the north during The Troubles.
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9. Rhasidat Adeleke – Irish athlete
Born and raised in Dublin to Nigerian parents, Rhasidat Adeleke is a sprinter who has been making waves recently as she dashed the 21-year withstanding Irish record for the indoor 400 m run by over an entire second. The record was previously held by Karen Skinkins.
8. Paul McGrath – one of Ireland’s greatest footballers
One of the most famous black Irish people to celebrate is Paul McGrath, who was born in England to an Irish mother.
His mother left Ireland before Paul was born for England because she was scared of her father’s reaction to having a child out of wedlock and a mixed-race child, no less, something that was contentious back in those days.
McGrath made his football debut in a League of Ireland Cup clash with the Shamrock Rovers on 30 before being spotted by a Man United scout.
He was also a long-standing member of the national team for the Republic, playing at the 1990 and 1994 FIFA World Cups, as well as UEFA Euro 1988.
7. Samantha Mumba – famous Irish singer
Samantha Mumba is an Irish singer from Dublin. She was picked up as a singer by Louis Walsh when she was just 15 years old.
In 2000, aged only 17, her debut single ‘Gotta Tell You’ went on to reach the top five in Ireland, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. As well as being a musician, she acted in several films before returning to music.
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6. Chris Hughton – made history in Irish football
Chris Hughton made history as the first black player to represent the Irish national football team in 1979. Born and raised in England, Chris Hughton was able to play for Ireland thanks to his mother being Irish.
5. Christine Buckley – an important Irish activist
Christine Buckley was a very important part of Ireland’s history, an activist and campaigner who worked to support survivors of Industrial Schools in Ireland.
She was the daughter of an Irish mother and a Nigerian father and was abandoned at just three weeks of age. As such, she became a product of Ireland’s industrial schools herself.
She spoke out over the years about her experiences and the experiences of others at St. Vincent’s Industrial School in Goldenbridge, which include sexual abuse. She served as the director of the Aislinn support and education group for survivors of a similar past.
4. Ruth Negga – a celebrated Irish actress
Ruth Negga was born in Ethiopia to an Ethiopian father and an Irish mother. At the age of four, she moved to Ireland, growing up in Limerick before moving to London for secondary school.
Ruth is an actress who has appeared in notable films and TV series across her career, like Colour Me Kubrick with John Malkovich, Breakfast on Pluto, Love/Hate, and period drama Passing opposite Tessa Thompson.
3. Kwame Ampadu – an Irish footballer
Patrick Kwame Ampadu is an Irish former footballer born in Bradford, West Yorkshire, to an Irish mother and Ghanaian father.
He then moved to Dublin, where he was raised throughout primary and secondary school. He first played in Irish youth football for Sheffield United before moving to Arsenal in 1988.
2. Fionnghuala O’Reilly – a black Irish woman who made history
Fionnghuala O’Reilly, an actress, model, and engineer, made history when she became the first black woman to represent Ireland at the international Miss Universe competition. In 2019, she was crowned Miss Universe Ireland.
She was born to an Irish father and an African-American mother in Kentucky, United States.
1. Ifrah Ahmed – a Somali-Irish activist
Ifrah Ahmed is a Somali-Irish social activist who is the founder of the United Youth of Ireland organisation, an NGO for young immigrants, and the Ifrah Foundation, which is devoted to eliminating female genital mutilation (FGM), which she herself was subjected to growing up.
Shocked that FGM wasn’t the norm when she fled her country for Ireland at the age of 17, she went back to school to expand her education in order to speak out against the practice. She would go on to be the first woman to share her testimony on the subject with the public.
So, there you have our list of the top ten most famous black Irish people to celebrate this Black History Month. How are you celebrating this October?
