20 Things You Didn't Know About Leprechauns

When does a Leprechaun cross the street? When it turns green! haha

Still here? Great Ah, Leprechauns! Arguably one of Ireland’s most famous folklores.

Today I am sharing twenty things that you likely did not know about Leprechauns. Some of these I didn’t know myself.

So let’s get to these exciting and fascinating things you might not know about Leprechauns.

There are NO female Leprechauns – No, I am not trying to be sexist here, haha. There is zero indication throughout history of there ever being a female leprechaun.
If you manage to catch a Leprechaun, make sure that you only stick to three wishes as they often trick people into doing a fourth, which makes all your wishes void.
Leprechauns are protected under EU law! – Yes, I did not know this either, haha. Two hundred thirty-six leprechauns live in the caverns of Carlington Mountain. The EU has granted heritage status to the remaining wee people; they now have their protected sanctuary nestled in the mountain. The European Directive aims to preserve an area in Louth called ‘The Sliabh Foy Loop’, which is protected for flora, fauna and leprechauns. Thanks for the info Hidden Dublin
Image YouTube
Leprechauns have helped give good luck to two celebrities in Hollywood, including Jennifer Aniston and Sean Connery. Jennifer made her debut in the 1993 horror film ‘Leprechaun’ which went on for five sequels and launched her career. Similarly, Sean Connery landed the role of James Bond after Disney held an advanced screening of ‘Darby O’Gill and the Little People’ at its Burbank Studio, to which they invited several movie producers, including the ‘Bond’ producer Albert R. Broccoli. Connery was so charming in the lead role of this Leprechaun Film and was somehow able to convey so much sex appeal, even in a family-friendly Disney film, that Broccoli’s wife urged the producer to give him the role of James Bond. Who knew!
Leprechauns were initially red in colour. The modern-day depiction of a Leprechaun is that of a man clad entirely in green. However, Irish folklore describes Leprechauns as men who wore red outfits and tri-cornered hats.
Leprechauns hide their pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. We will overlook the fact that this denies the fundamental law of physics since the rainbow has no end, beginning, or fixed spot. That doesn’t mean it is going to make me stop searching for it, haha.
If you ever find a Leprechaun, be sure to be nice to it. Legends speak of how if you are mean to a Leprechaun, they will twist your three wishes to be worse for you than better. However, if you are friendly, they will grant you the exact wishes you are looking for.
The word Leprechaun was derived from the Irish “leath bhrogan”, which meant “shoemaker”.
The original Irish name for these folklore figures is “lobaircin,” meaning “small-bodied fellow.” Belief in leprechauns likely stems from Celtic belief in fairies. These tiny men could use their magical powers to serve good or evil. In Celtic folktales, leprechauns were cranky souls responsible for mending the shoes of the other fairies.
There’s an official leprechaun colony in Portland, Oregon! The settlement is located at Mill Ends Park and was recognized in the Guinness World Records as the world’s smallest park, measuring just two square feet.
Legend also says that if you ever catch a Leprechaun that you must never take your eyes off them, or they will disappear. They cannot escape as long as you don’t take your eyes off them.
Ever wonder just how a Leprechaun gets his pot of gold? Legend tells that fairies grant a Leprechaun one gold coin for each year of their life. Since Leprechauns life for hundreds of years, the older they are, the bigger their pot of gold becomes.
Typically Leprechauns live in forests or woodlands, but there have been sightings of them near fairy mounds.
In Dublin, there is an entire museum dedicated to Leprechauns! You can book and learn more about it here. The museum opened on March 10th, 2010, and is located on Jervis Street in Dublin, Ireland.
The Lucky Charms mascot, Lucky the Leprechaun (no relation to the Boston mascot), was voiced for nearly 30 years by the Shakespearean trained actor Arthur Anderson. He worked extensively with director Orson Welles on many projects.
The famous Irish poet W.B Yeats describes Leprechauns as the solitary fairies, like the Leprechaun, wear red jackets, whereas the “trooping fairies” wear green. The Leprechaun’s jacket has seven rows of buttons with seven buttons to each row. On the western coast, he writes, the red jacket is covered by a frieze one, and in Ulster, the creature wears a cocked hat, and when he is up to anything unusually mischievous, he leaps onto a wall and spins, balancing himself on the point of the hat with his heels in the air.” Source Wiki
It is said that most Leprechauns live for about 300 to 500 years. The older they get, the more tricks they play.
Leprechauns vary in size, ranging from 3 inches to 15 inches, depending on their age. A leprechaun’s pot of gold is approximately half the height of the Leprechaun and is made from delicate glass.
The most recent ‘sighting’ was in 1989 by a pub landlord called P.J O’Hare in Carlingford, County Louth. O’Hare claims that he heard screams from a well and found the remains and clothing of a Leprechaun which is on display in his pub! The town now has an annual Leprechaun hunt. The object of the game is to find plastic versions of the fabled creature. See more Leprechaun facts here.
Lastly, be careful when making your wishes with a Leprechaun. As I said earlier, if you are friendly, then they will be nice. But for example, wishing to be as big as an Ox, the Leprechaun would transform you into an Ox!

I hope you’ve learnt learning these 20 things you did not know about Leprechauns. I know I certainly did. Thanks for stopping by, and be sure to share your experience with Leprechauns in the comments below.