▁has ▁been ▁dis sem in ated ▁in ▁online ▁mem es ▁and ▁social ▁media ▁deb ates . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 6 , ▁academ ics ▁and ▁Irish ▁histor ians ▁wrote ▁to ▁condem n ▁the ▁myth . ▁ ▁Background ▁ ▁The ▁idea ▁that ▁Irish ▁people ▁are ▁slaves ▁has ▁a ▁long ▁history . ▁According ▁to ▁historian ▁Li am ▁Kennedy , ▁the ▁idea ▁was ▁popular ▁among ▁the ▁nin ete enth - century ▁Young ▁Ireland ▁movement . ▁John ▁Mitch el ▁was ▁particularly ▁vocal ▁in ▁his ▁claim ▁that ▁the ▁Irish ▁were ▁ens la ved , ▁although ▁he ▁supported ▁the ▁trans at l antic ▁slave ▁trade ▁of ▁Afr icans . ▁ ▁Some ▁books ▁have ▁used ▁the ▁term ▁" s la ves " ▁for ▁capt ive ▁Irish ▁people ▁forced ▁from ▁their ▁homes ▁in ▁Ireland ▁and ▁sh ipped ▁over se as , ▁against ▁their ▁will , ▁to ▁the ▁New ▁World , ▁particularly ▁the ▁British ▁Col on ies . ▁The ▁term ▁" s la ves " ▁or ▁" b ond ▁slaves " ▁was ▁used ▁for ▁a ▁" time - bound " ▁system ▁of ▁years ▁that ▁was ▁not ▁perpet ual . ▁The ▁usual ▁period ▁of ▁indent ure ▁for ▁an ▁Irish ▁person ▁was ▁from ▁four ▁years ▁to ▁nine ▁years , ▁after ▁which ▁they ▁were ▁free ▁- ▁able ▁to ▁travel ▁freely , ▁own ▁property , ▁make ▁a ▁living , ▁and ▁accum ulate ▁wealth . ▁Additionally , ▁the ▁free ▁Irish ▁person ▁could ▁now ▁marry ▁whom ▁they ▁chose ▁and ▁their ▁children ▁were ▁born ▁into ▁freedom . ▁The ▁British ▁legal ▁term ▁used ▁was ▁" indent ured ▁servants "