Some Truths About The Leprechauns

Leprechauns are more likely a Scots tradition brought to Ireland  by the Picts, the aboriginal people of Scotland driven to Ireland by the Celtic invasions.  And they originally had different names in different places of Ireland (eg Luricawne in Kerry, Cluricawne in Monaghan, Logheryman in the north).  Ulster, the little men were once known as ‘grogoch’ or ‘pecht’. Arguments also credit some Norse influence for the development of the tradition.

And traditionally they were not the joyful, the fun loving characters of the Disney movies.  The modern-day leprechaunologist Colin Chapman, who writes on them at angelfire.com, they are ‘a difficult kith, belligerent and easily angered.’ They’re prone to ‘a binge of whiskey,’ they ‘steal horses’ (later cars), they’re ‘liars’ and ‘gang members.’ Other show, per Curran, ‘a fondness for abducting unbaptised human babies.’  There is one slight exception: the leprechauns of ‘some parts’ of Munster are considered friendlier.