There is a well known rumour about the group of Irish people called “the black irish”. Normally the story goes that these are decendants of survivors of the Spanish armada who landed on Ireland. The Black irish are those with black hair and blue eyes. One story that is told to Kilkie children is that we “Kilkies” are a branch of  the black irish who “washed up in Kilkee in County Clare in 1588.

There is very little evidence for this story and generally the origin of black irish from the armada is discounted or at least thought unlikely as most were captured or killed on the beaches when they landed by the English or their servants who owned that part of Ireland.

It is more likely that the family story comes from the name being similar – KILKIE v KILKEE, although the changes in spelling from Gilkie/Gilky (see later articles) makes it unlikely that Kilkie/Kilkey came from Kilkee.