How come there are so many black people with Irish last names?

for example, Shaquille O'Neal, Quinton McCracken, Tracy McGrady.





Would these be surnames that black people took for themselves or would it be something like the names they had to take from back when they were slaves from their masters? Would there be many Irish plantation owners at that time though?

How come there are so many black people with Irish last names?
Many people don't realize that the Irish have been slaves for almost as long as the blacks. The Irish didn't establish themselves in America until slavery was abolished and many of them faced similar forms of discrimination from the Dutch, English, and Italians who had already claimed their stake. The reason that so many black people have Irish last names is related to slavery though. After slavery was abolished many black children were orphaned. The only care that could be provided for them was through the convents which were full of Irish nuns. Since these children were considered sub-human by society they were never given last names so they took the last names of the nuns who cared for them. Irish people have been treated poorly for centuries and identified with the strife of black people earlier than the majority of other white people. In fact many white people didn't consider Irish to be white at all.
Reply:Its the same in Australia many got their names from the station owners that they lived on and most were owned by Irish with a ticket of leave.
Reply:Blacks obtained their European names from the slave owners at the time they were freed.