St. Patrick’s Day might be all green beer and shamrock selfies now, but rewind a few centuries, and Ireland was serving up a much darker brew—slavery with a side of Viking raids! Before the leprechauns and parades, the Irish were getting snatched by Norsemen, shipped off to Iceland, and later traded like discount potatoes under English rule. From sugar plantations in Barbados to kid laborers in Virginia, this hidden history is less “luck of the Irish” and more “yikes of the Irish.” So next time you’re chugging a Guinness, raise a glass to the ancestors who survived way more than a hangover!
When Irish Eyes Weren’t Smiling: The Hidden Slave Past
