Redheads in Ireland

Ireland is reputed to have one of the highest concentrations of redheads in the world, along with Scotland. A strong, authentic image, halfway between cliché and reality… Does freckling originate in Ireland? Are there really more redheads in Ireland than elsewhere? we’re here to help you sort out the real from the fake, and shed some light on the origins of freckles!

Are all Irish people redheads?

Fair-skinned, freckled and red-haired: is the Irish cliché wearing thin?

Redheads at the Irish Redhead Convention

This image can be found just about everywhere in tourist communications about Ireland: an Irish woman, redhead or auburn, with freckles on her face and very fair skin… This is the archetype of the typical Irish…

But is this really the case? Are all Irish people really as red-headed as advertised?

Here’s our answer in figures: over 10% of the Irish population is indeed redheaded, auburn or Venetian blond in Ireland. This figure is still behind that of Scotland, which has 13% redheads on board.

An estimated 46% of the Irish population carry the recessive freckle gene. Almost half, but carrying this gene doesn’t mean that you’ll notice any freckles.

As a result, redheads are still in the minority in Ireland, although in high concentrations throughout the country. This peculiarity is genetically explained by a particular gene, which has a direct impact on skin and hair color. The skin is very fair, while the hair is generally very thick, with shades ranging from reddish to auburn.

But beware of clichés: although Scotland and Ireland are currently the countries with the highest concentration of redheads, other peoples have historically been made up of many redheads, such as the Germanic-Celtic peoples and the AtlantoMediterranean peoples (United Kingdom, Ireland, Scandinavia, but also the Kabyles of North Africa, the Bretons of the South, the Basques, the Spaniards of the Southeast)…