Human meets real Leprechauns (video)

Inka Piegsa (Fodor's via MSN); K. Woods; Pat Macpherson, Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Once upon a time, the human spirit connected with a belief in leprechauns but no more.

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Kevin Woods speaks for the leprechauns: ‘I have the gift of communicating with them’

What is a North Irish logheyyman/leprechaun?

Ever since some Irish friends gave me a toy leprechaun as a good luck charm, I've felt the urge to know more about these mythical creatures.

Are they fairies (kumbandhas), woodland spirits (devas), or just part of the treasure trove of Irish folklore?

A man who believes them to be real is Kevin Woods, well known in Ireland as “The Leprechaun Whisperer.”

We're Irish, but we don't believe in hogwash.

Woods hails from Carlingford in the Cooley Mountains, less than two hours from Dublin.

I got in touch with him to learn his story and all I could about Ireland’s leprechauns (logheryman, leithbrágan, lioprachán, luacharman, lubrican, lugharcán, or lugracán).

At first, Woods admits he was skeptical about the existence of leprechauns. The Cooley Mountains are where tales and legends of spirits and fairies abound, until an event in 1989 made him more curious than he already was.

Lore has it we may have mated with fairies.

In that year, a local pub owner named PJ O’Hare found a small green suit, some tiny bones, and a few gold coins on one of his walks in the mountains. He knew the story about the leprechauns and how they are said to be

• 18 inches tall,
• dress in green top hats, jackets, trousers,
• wear black pointed shoes with a gold buckle.

Could these remains belong to a real leprechaun? O’Hare showed his findings to his friend, Woods.

The little folks (the Wee People) — as leprechauns are sometimes known — are fairies who carry out a trade, such as shoemaking.

They love to dance and wear the soles of their shoes out pretty often, so they need to make new ones. They are rewarded for their labor with gold coins, which they hide in a pot of gold deep under the earth [where the reptilian nagas attempt to hoard it].

Who or what are the leprechauns? (fairyist.com)

They also live in caverns connected by tunnels [just like the reptilians under Los Angeles]. The find of the little suit, bones, and coins prompted Woods to investigate further and instigate a leprechaun hunt around Carlingford and the legend-heavy Slieve Foye Mountain.

Though many people participated in the hunt, but no leprechaun materialized or was caught.

The legend further states that if one catches a leprechaun, he will grant you three wishes, and you might even get a small pot of gold.

This explains the interest in the hunt. After a while of fruitless searching, interest died down, but for Woods, it again sprang to life when in 2002, he found four gold coins close to a stone wall on Ghan Road, Carlingford.

This find, together with the first one, was proof enough for Woods that leprechauns exist.

Leprechauns make human contact

Leprechauns different names (Fairyist)

On other solo walks, several leprechauns presented themselves to him. He can still communicate with their elder, named Carraig.

“I have the gift of communicating with them, and so do others who are true believers,” explains Woods. “It is an out-of-body experience, but it is very real.”

Through his conversations with the leprechauns, Woods learned that there are only 236 leprechauns left alive of the many thousands that once existed all over Ireland.

The remaining leprechauns now live in a cavern under the Cooley Mountains, according to that research. Wood’s mission is to be a custodian of leprechauns and save them from extinction.

Woods has spent 19 years campaigning for leprechauns and, in 2002, petitioned the EU Habitat Directive — which protects flora, fauna, and wild animals — to include leprechauns as a protected species.

Woods runs the Last Leprechauns of Ireland enterprise in Carlingford, which organizes a National Leprechaun Hunt in the village every May. The enterprise aims to keep alive tales and legends about the little fairies, conduct a cavern tour, and exhibit a vast collection of leprechaun paraphernalia.

“For me, this is not a business,” says Woods. “I want to maintain the belief of leprechauns in the Irish people because that is the only way they will survive.”

What would YOU ask a leprechaun?

My son wants to be a wee little person, a real life leprechaun (ThatDadBlog.com)

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Are they real? Irish folklore (countryliving.com)

Because Woods can communicate with leprechauns, we, of course, had a few questions for them. The first was, How do leprechauns feel about their depiction and perception in modern society?

Through Woods, they replied that their primary concern is survival. Once upon a time, the human spirit was closely connected to a belief in them, but the more affluent modern Irish society became, the more that belief died and them with it.

Leprechauns need someone to fight for them, and that person has become Kevin Woods.

Our next question for the leprechauns was whether they are immortal? The short answer is no.

As one only sees images and effigies of male leprechauns, we also wanted to know if there are female leprechauns. The answer is yes!

Fairies are ET-pretty (gambinoslot.com).

Lastly, we were curious about what other magical creatures leprechauns interact with? As it turns out, leprechauns connect with quite a few other supernatural beings, including screaming banshees (irishpost.com) and Will-o’-the-Wisp.

The former is a malevolent spirit that manifests itself in the form of flickering lights over bogs and swamps and misleads wanderers and hikers, sometimes leading them to their death.

Leprechauns can be mischievous and play pranks on humans, but they are fun-loving musicians and generally benevolent, as shown in their willingness to fulfill three wishes if caught.

They make gifts of gold coins, and they can show one the end of the rainbow for good luck. They are only found in Ireland.

While Wood’s dedication is convincing, it is difficult to prove the existence of leprechauns themselves.

After all, seeing is believing. But for the affable Woods and the people of Carlingford, this subculture brings an undeniable joy and upholds an endearing part of Ireland’s folklore. Source

Fairies, woodland spirits known as bhumma-devis and devas in Buddhism, are real.