"The clurichaun (pronounced /ˈklʊrɨkɒn/), or clobhair-ceann in O'Kearney, is an Irish fairy which resembles the leprechaun. Some folklorists describe the clurichaun as a night "form" of the leprechaun, who goes out to drink after finishing his daily chores. [1] Others regard them as regional variations on the same creature.[2]
Clurichauns are said to always be drunk. However, unlike their cousins, they are surly. Many fables conclude clurichauns enjoy riding sheep and dogs at night. If you treat them well they will protect your wine cellar, and if mistreated, they will wreak havoc on your home and spoil your wine stock. In some tales, they act as buttery spirits, plaguing drunkards or dishonest servants who steal wine; if the victim attempts to move away from their tormentor, the clurichaun will hop into a cask to accompany them.[3]
The clurichaun appears in the popular Irish folk ballad "The Little Skillet Pot" as recorded by the Black Family and others: " and you'd wander down the boreen where the clurichaun was seen, and you'd whisper loving phrases to your own dear sweet colleen". The clurichaun appear alongside leprechauns and bansidhes in the short story "Herself" by Diane Duane, which has been published in a collection of Irish fantasy short stories, Emerald Magic."
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