According to fairy folklore, these families are “t he O’Neil’s, the O’Brien’s, the O’Connor’s, the O’Grady’s and the Kavanagh’s.”Īlthough banshees are associated with death, to the Irish, they don’t cause it and only appear as an omen of death, sometimes wearing the blood-stained clothes of the one who is about to die. These keeners or criers were paid to perform at funerals, singing “ a type of wailing song that lamented the dead.” When this custom died out, the ghosts of these professional mourners became banshees and continued to cry for certain families. It was believed that professional keeners, who attended funerals in ancient Ireland, became banshees when they died.

In the 17th century, the banshee appeared in the text, Memoirs of Lady Fanshawe, where she was dressed in white, with red hair “ and pale and ghastly complexion.” BansheesĪccording to Irish myth, the banshee is a supernatural being who warns of the impending death of a family member with a piercing shriek. According to one local, “ there are only 236 leprechauns still living in Ireland,” and one of those is running around with no clothes on! More about that a bit later. Leprechauns are such an integral part of Irish mythology that they’re actually protected by law! In Carlingford, County Louth, an area known as The Sliabh Foy Loop is “ a protected area for flora, fauna, wild animals, and leprechauns!”įor the Irish people of Carlingford, leprechauns are alive and well, although not necessarily thriving. The Irish believe that if you catch a leprechaun, he will grant you three wishes in return for his freedom. The modern-day version of the leprechaun began sometime during the 17th century and evolved into the character we know today. Although humans may pursue the leprechaun to steal his riches, this mischievous Irish fairy always gets the upper hand, using trickery to escape.Īlthough the leprechaun first appeared in Irish literature in the 8th century, the leprechaun we know today bears little resemblance to the original water sprite. In Irish myths, the leprechaun has great wealth in the form of a pot of gold which he hides at the end of a rainbow.

Although the roguish leprechaun engages in pranks, he doesn’t carry out menacing deeds like some true fairies. Unlike other Irish fairies, the leprechaun is a solitary figure and, as such, should be distinguished from the Daoine Sidhe. In WB Yeats’ Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry, the Leprechaun is described as “a wrinkled, wizen’d, and bearded Elf.”

Arguably the most famous of all the Irish fairies, the leprechaun is usually depicted as a mischievous little man with a long beard and a talent for making shoes.

Irish Fairy and Folk Tales by Various