photo of sketch of leprechaun given to NBC 15Photo: Shelby Mitchell
Where da gold at?
The legend of the Mobile Leprechaun endures.
Do you know the legend of the Mobile Leprechaun? You should. Right here in the Mobile, Alabama... neighborhood of Crichton...several members of the community reported seeing what looked like a leprechaun trolling the neighborhood. From there, the local news (NBC 15 TV, WPMI), reported on the sightings, and an Internet phenomenon was born. (see original YouTube video below).
This "creature" was first seen in a tree, and its origins and story remain murky. What isn’t murky is the hilarious interpretation of the sightings, from the local interviews to the amazing “amateur sketch” that depicts the leprechaun in less than impressive detail.
Regardless of the ambiguity surrounding this particular creature (and perhaps more importantly, the location of its GOLD!), segment endures, with it being recirculated on social media every year when St. Patrick’s Day approaches. Its popularity has resulted in a wide range of merch and a number of articles and features throughout the world, and it remains one of the most popular videos on YouTube. (theSouthernweekend.com , 2021)
From Wikipedia: The Crichton Leprechaun (also the Mobile Leprechaun, Alabama Leprechaun) is a supposed sighting of a leprechaun in a tree in Crichton, a neighborhood of Mobile, Alabama following a 2006 news report filed at local NBC affiliate WPMI-TV. The video was posted to YouTube on St. Patrick's Day 2006 and became one of the first YouTube viral videos and was referenced in mainstream media. (Wikipedia)
As of 2023, the video has over 28 million views. Since then the leprechaun has become an icon of the local community of Crichton.
~Shelby
Shelby's Leprechaun/Joe Cain cap (I call it my Lepre-Cain cap) that I got from my buddy, local podcasting and video guru, Johnny GwinPhoto: Shelby Mitchell