Legend has it that if a Leprechaun comes across a decorated treasure box under the moon, he must fill it with gold, jewels or gifts. After filling the box with loot, the leprechaun then hides it in hopes that no one will find it on St. Patrick’s Day because if it is found on St. Patrick’s Day the treasure belongs to whoever found it and remains in our world. If the treasure is not found on St. Patrick’s Day, then the leprechaun may retrieve what is rightfully his.

The box should be small enough for a tiny leprechaun to reach over the sides in order to fill it. If it is too big, the leprechaun won’t be able to fill it with riches and it will remain empty. An empty tissue box, a shoe box or a small treasure box from the craft store are the perfect size for leprechauns to work with.

Bring out the glitter, paint, glue, buttons, ribbon, stickers and other craft supplies. Let your child decorate the box in whatever way he or she is inspired to do. The gaudier it is, the better to attract leprechauns. Allow to dry.

Just before bedtime, help your child find a spot where the moon will shine on the box over night. It could be a windowsill or on the front porch.

Overnight, while the child is asleep, a leprechaun will stumble across the box and fill it with treasure. (Hint, hint – this is where you come in.) Choose goodies such as chocolate coins wrapped in gold foil, bubble solution, trading cards, a bag of marbles, costume jewelry and other little items your child enjoys. Next hide the box because, remember, leprechauns are tricky and they want to keep the treasure for themselves. Leave little clues in the form of a shamrock trail leading to the hiding spot or a riddle to solve.

The Magical Legend of the Leprechauns is a 1999 Hallmark Entertainment made-for-TV fantasy movie. It stars Randy Quaid, Colm Meaney, Kieran Culkin, Roger Daltrey and Whoopi Goldberg. The film contains two main stories that eventually intertwine: the first being the story of an American businessman who visits Ireland and encounters magical leprechauns, the second being the story of a pair of star-crossed lovers who happen to be a fairy and a leprechaun, belonging to opposing sides of a magical war.

The Magical Legend of the Leprechauns – Based on the Irish folk tale characters of leprechauns and fairies, this imaginative two-part made for TV miniseries was produced by Hallmark for the NBC network in 1999.

The story follows an American businessman Jack Woods (Randy Quaid) who has come to the Emerald Isle with a hidden agenda. He wants to develop a large chunk of pristine land in the Irish countryside into a golf course. But low and behold, when he takes up residence in one of the small cottages on the land, he discovers it is inhabited by none other than a leprechaun and his wife.

Colm Meaney (of Star Trek Fame) plays Seamus Muldoon, the red-bearded leprechaun whom Jack Woods rescued from the water (Leprechauns hate water) and so was beholding to his benefactor.

The story becomes complicated when Jack falls in love with Kathleen Fitzpatrick, a local raven-haired beauty who spends her time caring for her grown brothers, who can’t seem to make a decision on the own.

At its core, the miniseries combines the romantic sentiment of classic movie The Quiet Man (1952) starring John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara with the dynamic story of forbidden love found in Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet. All in all, the movie is a gentle, fun frolic, filled with Irish history, folklore and lush green countryside. It’s well worth a look see.

A beautiful story, that captures the legends of Leprechauns with a touch of innocence. Even though this movie is now over 10 years old, it will provide hours of timeless entertainment for you, your children and family. 5 Golden Stars from CelticRadio.net:

The story is told from the point-of-view of Fiona — played by Jeni Courtney — a young girl who is sent to live with her grandparents in an Irish fishing village. Her grandfather weaves tall tales about the family’s evacuation from their home on the tiny island of Roan Inish and his great-great grandfather, who once cheated death at the hands of the sea. As she meets other villagers, Fiona hears more personal stories about an ancestor who married a beautiful, part-human/part-seal, and more about how the sea stole her baby brother during the departure from Roan Inish. Later, Fiona believes that she has found Jamie romping in the grass on Roan Inish, and she must convince the family of her vision.

Although in the original novel the story takes place in Sotland, the filmmakers decided to have the film take place in Ireland for practical reasons.  Critic Stephen Holden, of The New York Times, liked the film’s direction. He wrote, “The Secret of Roan Inish is the first film directed by Mr. Sayles that could be described as visually rhapsodic. Photographed by Haskell Wexler on Ireland’s rugged northwestern seacoast, it is a cinematic tone poem in which man and nature, myth and reality flow together in a way that makes them ultimately indivisible.

A beautiful story, that captures the selkie legend with a touch of innocence. 5 Golden Stars from CelticRadio.net: