Article by: Drayten Nobles, Contributing Writer

Almost 20 years ago, the internet broke as residents of the Crichton neighborhood in Mobile, Alabama, spotted what they thought to be a leprechaun in a tree. This story instantly became a worldwide phenomenon, capturing the attention of almost the entire country.

On March 14, 2006, the WPMI-TV news station was alerted to large crowds gathering in Crichton, and reporter Brian Johnson decided to investigate. Anchor Scott Walker said that as the crew arrived, “Things sort of snowballed.” Throughout the massive crowd, many supposed witnesses and bystanders claimed that they had seen a leprechaun in a tree. Several people came up with theories on what the leprechaun might have been, and some even believed the Leprechaun hid a pot of gold nearby. One resident famously stated, “I want the gold, gimme the gold.” The leprechaun was never officially found, yet many people still believe they saw one.  

Shun Thomas, a resident of the Crichton neighborhood, stated that he was the first to see the leprechaun. According to an interview by Al.com, Thomas said, “I’m seeing this image, so I do several double takes, and he’s still there. So I finally mentioned it.” Thomas would then go on to tell several family members and friends about what he saw, noting that they saw the same image he did, and that it wasn’t until about a week later that news stations started to show up. At that point, Thomas had grown frustrated with the media and residents turning what he saw into a joke. Thomas made it clear in the interview that he believes what he saw was a leprechaun and said that he still wants to get to the bottom of this. 

An “amateur sketch” was created to show what the Leprechaun might have looked like. The sketch was later sold on eBay for around $1,100 dollars to a New York resident by the name of Tye Miksis. The proceeds were then used to benefit the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life, according to Brian Johnson.

While it likely wasn’t a leprechaun in the tree, the story made headlines all around the world. The video almost immediately went viral and is still very popular. Famous late-night talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live frequently celebrates the Crichton Leprechaun incident, with Kimmel himself saying that it is one of his favorite annual St. Patrick’s Day segments. Kimmel stated on his show that many consider the story to be one of the best local news stories of all time. Other celebrities have mentioned the incident, such as celebrity comedians Key and Peele, who  mocked the incident with a skit titled “Pegasus Sighting.”

With its 20th anniversary occurring a few days ago, the Crichton Leprechaun is still a legendary tale that Mobilians talk about to this day. While there haven’t been any notable sightings recently, Mobile residents should certainly have their eyes peeled this St. Patrick’s Day. To watch the original report on the Crichton Leprechaun, visit https://youtu.be/K1ljOcl39PQ?si=67qQFOmPeFesHPg5