Irish people

This article is about the Irish as an ethnic group and nation. For information on Ireland's population, see Demographics of the Republic of Ireland and Demographics of Northern Ireland.
"Irishman" redirects here. For pages titled "The Irishman", see The Irishman (disambiguation). For "The Irish People" newspapers, see The Irish People.

Irish people
Muintir na hÉireann
Total population
c. 70–80 million worldwide[1]
Regions with significant populations
United States36,000,000[5]
United Kingdom (excl. NI)14,000,000 (650,000 first generation)[6][7]
Australia7,000,000[8]
Canada4,627,000[9][10]
New Zealand600,000[11]
Argentina500,000[12]
Chile120,000[13]
Germany35,000[14]
France20,000–24,000[15]
Netherlands11,308 (2021)[16]
Colombia10,000[17]
Languages
Religion
Related ethnic groups
Irish Travellers, Gaels, Anglo-Irish, Bretons, Cornish, English, Icelanders,[18] Manx, Scots, Ulster Scots, Welsh
Part of a series on
Irish people
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History of Ireland

The Irish (Irish: Na Gaeil or Na hÉireannaigh) are an ethnic group and nation native to the island of Ireland, who share a common ancestry, history and culture. There have been humans in Ireland for about 33,000 years, and it has been continually inhabited for more than 10,000 years (see Prehistoric Ireland). For most of Ireland's recorded history, the Irish have been primarily a Gaelic people (see Gaelic Ireland). From the 9th century, small numbers of Vikings settled in Ireland, becoming the Norse-Gaels. Anglo-Normans also conquered parts of Ireland in the 12th century, while England's 16th/17th century conquest and colonisation of Ireland brought many English and Lowland Scots to parts of the island, especially the north. Today, Ireland is made up of the Republic of Ireland (officially called Ireland) and Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kingdom). The people of Northern Ireland hold various national identities including Irish, British or some combination thereof.

The Irish have their own unique customs, language, music, dance, sports, cuisine and mythology. Although Irish (Gaeilge) was their main language in the past, today most Irish people speak English as their first language. Historically, the Irish nation was made up of kin groups or clans, and the Irish also had their own religion, law code, alphabet and style of dress.[citation needed]

There have been many notable Irish people throughout history. After Ireland's conversion to Christianity, Irish missionaries and scholars exerted great influence on Western Europe, and the Irish came to be seen as a nation of "saints and scholars". The 6th-century Irish monk and missionary Columbanus is regarded as one of the "fathers of Europe",[19] followed by saints Cillian and Fergal. The scientist Robert Boyle is considered the "father of chemistry", and Robert Mallet one of the "fathers of seismology". Irish literature has produced famous writers in both Irish- and English-language traditions, such as Eoghan Rua Ó Súilleabháin, Dáibhí Ó Bruadair, Jonathan Swift, Oscar Wilde, W. B. Yeats, Samuel Beckett, James Joyce, Máirtín Ó Cadhain, Eavan Boland, and Seamus Heaney. Notable Irish explorers include Brendan the Navigator, Sir Robert McClure, Sir Alexander Armstrong, Sir Ernest Shackleton and Tom Crean. By some accounts, the first European child born in North America had Irish descent on both sides.[20] Many presidents of the United States have had some Irish ancestry.

The population of Ireland is about 6.9 million, but it is estimated that 50 to 80 million people around the world have Irish forebears, making the Irish diaspora one of the largest of any nation. Historically, emigration from Ireland has been the result of conflict, famine and economic issues. People of Irish descent are found mainly in English-speaking countries, especially Great Britain, the United States, Canada, New Zealand and Australia. There are also significant numbers in Argentina, Mexico, Brazil, Germany, and The United Arab Emirates. The United States has the most people of Irish descent, while in Australia those of Irish descent are a higher percentage of the population than in any other country outside Ireland.[21] Many Icelanders have Irish and Scottish Gaelic ancestors due to transportation there as slaves by the Vikings during their settlement of Iceland.[22]

  1. ^ [email protected], Scottish Government, St. Andrew's House, Regent Road, Edinburgh EH1 3DG Tel:0131 556 8400 (29 May 2009). "The Scottish Diaspora and Diaspora Strategy: Insights and Lessons from Ireland". scotland.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 24 December 2018. Retrieved 14 October 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ "Census of Population 2022 – Summary Results". cso.ie. 3 April 2022. Archived from the original on 7 August 2023. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
  3. ^ Ethnic Irish at Ethnologue (22nd ed., 2020)
  4. ^ "Census 2021 main statistics identity tables". Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. 7 September 2022. Archived from the original on 9 July 2023. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
  5. ^ American FactFinder, United States Census Bureau. "U.S. Census Bureau, 2007". Factfinder.census.gov. Archived from the original on 10 April 2010. Retrieved 30 May 2010.
  6. ^ "One in four Britons claim Irish roots". BBC News. BBC. 16 March 2001. Archived from the original on 24 December 2018. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
  7. ^ Maybin, Simon (2 September 2016). "How many Britons are entitled to an Irish passport?". BBC News. Archived from the original on 28 July 2020. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  8. ^ "Department of Foreign Affairs – Emigrant Grants". 28 July 2013. Archived from the original on 28 July 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  9. ^ "Ethnic Origin, both sexes, age (total), Canada, 2016 Census – 25% Sample data". Canada 2016 Census. Statistics Canada. 20 February 2019. Archived from the original on 12 November 2020. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  10. ^ "Ethnic Origin (264), Single and Multiple Ethnic Origin Responses (3), Generation Status (4), Age Groups (10) and Sex (3) for the Population in Private Households of Canada, Provinces, Territories, Census Metropolitan Areas and Census Agglomerations, 2011 National Household Survey". Statistics Canada. 2011. Archived from the original on 24 December 2018. Retrieved 24 November 2013.
  11. ^ "The Irish in New Zealand: Historical Contexts and Perspectives – Brian Easton". www.eastonbh.ac.nz. 14 June 2003. Archived from the original on 5 January 2019. Retrieved 20 March 2016.
  12. ^ "Flying the Irish flag in Argentina". Western People. 14 March 2008. Archived from the original on 14 October 2007. Retrieved 4 July 2008.
  13. ^ O'Higgins Tours. "Los irlandeses en Chile". Archived from the original on 7 September 2017. Retrieved 10 January 2010.
  14. ^ "estimated 35,000-more than 1 million enjoy Irish culture". Archived from the original on 7 March 2023. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  15. ^ "Who are the Irish in France, and what are they doing there?". Irish Times. 18 January 2019. Archived from the original on 22 May 2019. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
  16. ^ "Bevolking; geslacht, leeftijd, generatie en migratieachtergrond, 1 januari" (in Dutch). Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS). 22 July 2021. Archived from the original on 3 August 2017. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
  17. ^ "Irlandeses en Colombia y Antioquia". www.dfa.ie. Archived from the original on 26 August 2022. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  18. ^ Helgason, Agnar; et al. (2000). "Estimating Scandinavian and Gaelic ancestry in the male settlers of Iceland". The American Journal of Human Genetics. 67 (3): 697–717. doi:10.1086/303046. ISSN 0002-9297. PMC 1287529. PMID 10931763.
  19. ^ "Pope Calls Irish Monk a Father of Europe". Zenit. 11 July 2007. Archived from the original on 15 June 2008. Retrieved 15 July 2007.
  20. ^ Smiley, p. 630
  21. ^ "Dáil Éireann – 29/Apr/1987 Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. – Australian Bicentenary". Oireachtasdebates.oireachtas.ie. 29 April 1987. Archived from the original on 24 December 2018. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
  22. ^ "DNA study reveals fate of Irish women taken by Vikings as slaves to Iceland". irishtimes.com. 6 June 2018. Retrieved 25 April 2024.


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