Black People in Ireland

Since the mid-16th century there have been small numbers of Black people resident in Ireland, mainly concentrated in the major towns, especially Dublin. Many of those in the 18th century were servants of wealthy families. There were other Africans in Ireland who were not slaves, notably Olaudah Equiano (also spelled Olauda Ikwuano), who not only lived in Belfast, but wrote and self-published best selling accounts of his experience in and with slavery.

Lord Edward FitzGerald was saved in 1781 by Tony Small, a freed slave, after the Battle of Eutaw Springs. Small returned with Lord Edward to Ireland, and in 1786 his portrait was painted by John Roberts.

Black slavery was rare in Ireland at this date, although the legal position remained unclear until a judgement in England in 1772, the Somersett's Case. Others were tradesmen, soldiers, travelling artists or musicians. Never very numerous, most of them were assimilated into the larger population by the second third of the 19th century.