Notre Dame Leprechaun

The Leprechaun
Team	Fighting Irish
University	University of Notre Dame
Conference	Independent; ACC
Description	Irish leprechaun with his fists up
Origin of name	Irish heritage
First seen	1960
Website	Official website

Last updated January 13, 2021

The Notre Dame Leprechaun is the mascot of the University of Notre Dame (Notre Dame) Fighting Irish athletics department. He appears at athletic events, most notably at football games. He was designed by sports artist Theodore W. Drake in 1964 for US$50.^[1]

Irish tradition

The Fighting Irish logo features a side view of The Leprechaun with his fists up, ready to battle anyone that comes his way. He was once depicted with a bottle of whiskey by his foot, but alcohol awareness led to its being dropped.^{[ citation needed ]} The live version is a student, chosen annually at tryouts, dressed in a cutaway green suit and Irish country hat. The Leprechaun brandishes a shillelagh and aggressively leads cheers and interacts with the crowd, supposedly bringing magical powers and good luck to the Notre Dame team.

The Leprechaun was not always the official mascot of Notre Dame. For years, the team was represented by a series of Irish terrier dogs. The first, named Brick Top Shuan-Rhu, was donated by Charles Otis of Cleveland and presented to football head coach Knute Rockne the weekend of the Notre Dame-Pennsylvania game November 8, 1930. A number of terriers later took the role of the school mascot, which usually took the name Clashmore Mike. The Clashmore Mike mascot last made an appearance on the cover of the 1963 Notre Dame Football Dope Book with coach Hugh Devore and captain Bob Lehmann. In 1960, the Irish cheerleaders added the leprechaun to their cheering lineup. Terry Crawford, dressed in green, would walk back and forth in front of the cheerleading group with the Irish terrier, Mike.

The Leprechaun was named the official mascot in 1965,^[3] when the Leprechaun was registered as an official university mark. However, earlier, in 1961, John Brandt from Elyria, Ohio became the first man to don the uniform and appear with Clashmore Mike at a home game against Oklahoma. Brandt served as the Leprechaun until 1963.

Campus figure

The Leprechaun can be seen around campus on football game weekends as he or she acts as the MC of Friday night pep rallies and makes several appearances at tailgates before games. During games, he or she leads the traditional cheers of the student section, who are named "The Leprechaun Legion."

Along with the cheerleaders, The Leprechaun also travels with the team as the Fighting Irish travel across the nation. He or she engages in several community service initiatives and makes public appearances.

Tryouts

Tryouts to become The Leprechaun take place over a monthlong process each spring. Prospect leprechauns are presented with several mental and physical challenges until the field is narrowed down to under ten finalists. During the final round of tryouts, each contestant must lead a 5-minute mock pep rally, answer questions during an interview with a local media personality, respond to a game situation, answer Notre Dame trivia, dance Notre Dame's version of the Irish Jig, and complete 50 pushups. A panel of judges then interviews each candidate in private before making the final decision.

Despite popular belief, there are no strict requirements for becoming the leprechaun. Notre Dame students of any height are eligible to try out regardless of their ability to grow a beard. The overall "look" of candidates does weigh into the decision, however, and more often than not a young man with a chinstrap beard will be chosen.

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References

↑ "Ted Drake, 92, Creator of Notre Dame Logo". The New York Times . Associated Press. May 30, 2000. Retrieved June 12, 2017.
↑ "Notre Dame Coach Ara Parseghian". TIME . November 20, 1964. Retrieved June 12, 2017.
↑ University of Notre Dame Traditions Archived 2007-12-01 at the Wayback Machine at CSTV.com

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[1] "Ted Drake, 92, Creator of Notre Dame Logo". The New York Times . Associated Press. May 30, 2000. Retrieved June 12, 2017.

[2] "Notre Dame Coach Ara Parseghian". TIME . November 20, 1964. Retrieved June 12, 2017.

[3] University of Notre Dame Traditions Archived 2007-12-01 at the Wayback Machine at CSTV.com

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National championship seasons in bold

v t e Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's basketball
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Helms national championships in bold; NCAA Final Four appearance in italics

v t e Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's soccer
Venues	Alumni Stadium
Rivalries	Indiana
Culture & lore	Band of the Fighting Irish Irish Guard Notre Dame Leprechaun "Notre Dame, Our Mother" "Notre Dame Victory March"
People	Head coaches Notable people
Seasons	1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
NCAA national championships in bold; NCAA College Cup appearances in italics

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v t e Mascots of the Atlantic Coast Conference
Atlantic Division	Baldwin the Eagle (Boston College) The Tiger (Clemson) Osceola and Renegade (Florida State) Cardinal Bird (Louisville) Mr. & Mrs. Wuf (North Carolina State) Leprechaun (Notre Dame) Otto the Orange (Syracuse) Demon Deacon (Wake Forest)
Coastal Division	Blue Devil (Duke) Buzz & Ramblin' Wreck (Georgia Tech) Sebastian the Ibis (Miami) Rameses (North Carolina) Roc the Panther (Pittsburgh) Cavalier (Virginia) HokieBird (Virginia Tech)