Leprechauns & Fairies

Hosted byGeorge Noory

Leprechauns & Fairies

About the show

Author Dr. Bob Curran discussed Irish and Celtic legends, and beings such as fairies and leprechauns. Ireland is known as a particularly mystical place in part because of the ancient Celtics who saw spirits living everywhere within the land, he noted. The oral tradition was also particularly strong, with stories being passed down through generations, he added.

Excavated bones found in Ireland show a race of smaller people-- possibly pygmy-like aboriginals who lived on the land before the Celts, and this is one possible explanation for how lore about leprechauns began, he said.

Leprechauns were often associated with money (they were thought to know where riches were stashed during invasions), as well as a distilled brew called poteen, Curran detailed. In contrast to the leprechauns, fairies could look like typical humans, but a group known as the grogoch, were small, completely covered in fur, and had monkey-like faces, he shared. Curran also touched on his work dealing with the folklore surrounding zombies and vampires.

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Placed in an enchanted field in Tipperary, Ireland, the leprechaun fairy watch webcam allows people to keep an eye out for magical beings. The host site of the webcam, irelandeye.com, also features articles by Bob Curran on standing stones and tree spirits.

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