Irish Red Hair

Although it is so much a part of cultural mythology as to seem true, Irish red hair is only seen on about 4 percent of the population of Ireland. Far from being prized, it isn’t thought much of in its native country, and is in fact the cause of jokes and insults in Britain. In America, however, it’s a hair color a lot of women spend a lot of time and money trying to achieve either at home or in the beauty salon.

Only about 4% of the Irish population has red hair.

Images of Ireland that many Irish find hugely offensive, such as leprechauns, have propagated the myth that all the Irish have red hair, even though very few do or ever have. In fact, red hair was looked upon with dislike by the Irish as well as the English historically. It was associated with the Danes who had invaded both countries in the tenth century and left their mark accordingly. In Britain, red hair is called "ginger" and, when on an Irish head, is a subject for ridicule, part of the ongoing mistrust between the two nations.

The myth of Irish red hair has also been helped a lot by popular fiction, especially Hollywood. Any color film during the 1940s and 1950s set in Ireland showed a population of mostly redheads. The Irish film star Maureen O’Hara was as famous for her beautiful red hair as she was for her acting, although it should be noted that her hair was a dark red, rather than the paler red that is considered classic Irish. That color is closer to a strawberry blonde or copper. In any case, O’Hara, in company with other well-liked Irish actresses like Irene Dunne, helped cement the idea that Ireland was populated by redheads.

Classic Irish Red

Another prevailing myth was that anyone with red hair had a fiery character to match their hair color. This myth suited the British, because they were constantly working to subjugate the Irish and whipping up sentiment against them helped keep the population anxious to see the Irish "tamed."

However, Queen Elizabeth I was famous for her red hair, which for most of her reign was in fact a wig. During that time, standards of beauty shifted so that red hair was considered desirable in a lady. Many noblewomen sought to dye their hair with henna or touch up their hair to make it look more red. After the queen died, though, the prejudice against red hair returned.

In the early years of heavy Irish immigration to America, there was some prejudice against red hair. Gradually, however, its comparative rarity came to be seen as a sign of great beauty, especially in an actress. This is still the case, which is why it can be considered ironic that natural redheads like Nicole Kidman and Lindsey Lohan insist on going platinum blonde.

Users report that L'Oreal's Color Pulse in orange/copper will turn dark blonde hair a very nice shade of Irish red, although this is more for tinting than a permanent color. However, because red can be such a difficult color to achieve and maintain, you should try a temporary dye first and see if it works for you before considering a permanent change. Unlike almost any other red, Irish red should be subtle and look very natural.

Irish red hair is surrounded by myths and assumptions, but when bias is removed the color that is left is vibrant and stylish, making red hair highly desirable for many women today.

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