The Leprechaun in Popular Culture

Movies, television cartoons and advertising have popularized a specific image of leprechauns which bears scant resemblance to anything found in the cycles of Irish mythology. Many Irish people find the popularised image of a leprechaun to be little more than a series of offensive Irish stereotypes and a trivialisation of Ireland's rich and ancient culture.

The stereotypical image of a leprechaun bedecked in green is particularly strong in the United States, where it is widely used for a variety of purposes, both commercial and non-commercial.

Literature:

• Artemis Fowl, by Eoin Colfer
• American Gods by Neil Gaiman
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J. K. Rowling
• The books of Herminie Templeton Kavanagh, on which Darby O'Gill and the Little People was based
• Alosha Trilogy, by Christopher Pike

Films / TV:

• Leprechaun
• Darby O'Gill and the Little People
• Finian's Rainbow
• Kabouter Plop (Plop the Leprechaun)
• The Luck of the Irish (Disney Channel Original Movies)
• Leapin' Leprechauns
• Spellbreaker: Secret of The Leprechauns

General:

• the mascot of the University of Notre Dame
• the Boston Celtics logo
• the Wagga Brothers emblem
• Lucky Charms breakfast cereal
• a familiar which increases the amount of meat recieved from killing an enemy in the online game Kingdom of Loathing
• former Deep Purple guitarist Richie Blackmore often dresses up as a leprechaun for promotional photo shots and when playing live

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