2024 Mobile Ornament - Crichton Leprechaun

The Crichton Leprechaun was reported to have been spotted sitting in a tree in Crichton, a neighborhood of Mobile, AL, on March 14, 2006. When a news team from local NBC affiliate WPMI-TV arrived, they noticed a crowd had assembled near the tree. Someone in the crowd drew an amateur sketch of what witnesses said the leprechaun looked like. The story was then reported locally and posted to YouTube on St. Patrick's Day, where it became one of the first viral videos on YouTube. As of 2024, the original news clip has had over 6.5 million views – and the leprechaun story and drawing have become iconic in Mobile and beyond.

In addition, the Crichton Leprechaun has been referenced in national mainstream media. The story has been covered by The New York Times, Fox News, MSNBC, and many other media outlets, and was lampooned on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show, Key and Peele, and South Park. The original news story includes many humorous interpretations through local interviews. Eyewitnesses say the leprechaun only comes out at night and disappears if you shine a light in its direction. Some people bring cameras and video recorders to the site in an attempt to capture images, while others hope to find a pot of gold underneath the tree. The original news story continues to receive media attention annually on St. Patrick’s Day.