Gerome says “Happy St. Patrick’s Day”

There are many traditions and folktales surrounding St. Patrick’s Day and Gerome decided he wanted to learn more about Irish fairies, specifically the leprechaun. Upon exploring Special Collections Gerome discovered Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry edited and selected by W.B. Yeats. According to Yeats, “The Irish word for fairy is sheehogue [sidheog], a diminutive of “shee” in banshee. Fairies are deenee shee [daoine sidhe] (fairy people).” Below is a page from the chapter on solitary fairies where the description of the lepracaun is found. Turns out not the same as the leprechaun we think of today. Find this book and others to further your own explorations of Irish folk tales.