Conway Mill Trust

Good or bad weather, the male merrow sits on a rock scanning the sea for cases of brandy lost by wrecked ships. He’s a friendly fellow with a red nose, probably the result of too much drink. He is a bringer of good luck, wears a red cocked hat and has a green body, green hair and teeth. He has pig eyes, scaly legs, arms like fins and no clothes. The female merrow, also called a mermaid or sea-maiden, is lovely and graceful with a tail of a fish and web-like scales between her fingers. As she lounges upon the rocks, she attempts to attract fisherman to her. But if he gets too near, she dives into the sea, laughing at him. Her presence always ensures a storm or disaster at sea. When a sailor fails to come home from sea, it is sometimes said he “married a mermaid”.

One of the most famous creations of Irish folklore are the leprechauns. These “little people” are solitary creatures, avoiding contact with mortals and other leprechauns. The leprechaun pours all of his passion into the concentration of carefully making shoes. A leprechaun can always be found with a shoe in one hand and a hammer in the other.

Leprechauns guard the fairies’ treasures against being stolen by mortals. Although they hide the treasures well, the presence of a rainbow alerts mortals to the whereabouts of horded gold. Female leprechauns do not exist.