The Leprechaun has become an iconic symbol of Ireland and is synonymous with modern day Irish folklore. The Leprechaun is a very illusive creature but can be classed as a solitary fairy. The Leprechaun is often depicted with a pot of gold coins and it is believed that he keeps the gold hidden at the end of a rainbow. If you capture a Leprechaun, he must grant you 3 wishes or share his gold.
Where exactly he appropriated this wealth from is unclear but William Butler Yeats wrote that the gold came from “treasure-crocks, buried of old in war-time”which the Leprechauns later recovered. The Leprechaun is often depicted mending shoes and there is some speculation that his gold is his earnings from shoemaking and repair. Others believe he is not a professional cobbler and he has to often mend his own shoes from too much running around and creating mischief, however this has not been confirmed.
The last claimed Leprechaun sighting was in Carlingford in 1989 and is now considered an endangered species. In 2009 the 236 surviving Leprechauns in Ireland were afforded protection under the European Habitats Directive.
Measures 5.1cmD x 10.2cmH
