The Notre Dame leprechaun is the mascot of the University of Notre Dame

University of Notre Dame

The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...

 Fighting Irish

Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Notre Dame's nickname is inherited from Irish immigrant soldiers who fought in the Civil War with the Union's Irish Brigade, , recollected among other places in the poetry of Joyce Kilmer who served with one of the Irish Brigade regiments during World War I...

. He appears at athletic events, most notably at football games. It was designed by noted sports artist Theodore W. Drake

Theodore W. Drake

Theodore "Ted" W. Drake was an American cartoonist, graphic artist, and sports artist known for his iconic creation, the Notre Dame Leprechaun....

 in 1964 for $50.

Irish tradition

In keeping with the nickname "Fighting Irish" and Irish folklore, The Leprechaun serves as the mascot for the University of Notre Dame.

The Fighting Irish logo features a side view of The Leprechaun with his dukes up, ready to battle anyone that comes his way. 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

Shillelagh

The word shillelagh can mean:* Shillelagh , a type of hand weapon* Shillelagh, County Wicklow, a town in Ireland* The MGM-51 Shillelagh missile* Shillelagh, the code name for Source Mage GNU/Linux 0.5* It's the Same Old Shillelagh, an Irish song...

and aggressively leads cheers and interacts with the crowd, supposedly bringing magical powers and good luck to the Notre Dame team.

The Leprechaun wasn't 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 one Charles Otis of Cleveland and presented to Irish head coach Knute Rockne the weekend of the Notre Dame-Pennsylvania game Nov. 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.

Although the leprechaun was not registered as an official University mark until 1965, in 1960, Terry Crawford became the first man to don the uniform and appear with Clashmore Mike at Notre Dame Football games. Crawford served as the leprechaun until 1962.

The Leprechaun was named the official mascot in 1965. http://und.cstv.com/trads/nd-m-fb-mas.html The current Notre Dame Leprechaun for the 2011-2012 academic year is Mike George.

Campus figure

The Leprechaun can be seen around campus on football game weekends as he acts as the MC of Friday night pep rallies, makes several appearances at tailgates before games, and leads the band as it marches to Notre Dame Stadium. During games, he shakes down the thunder by leading the traditional cheers of the student section, dancing his signature Irish Jig, and intimidating opposing mascots.

Along with the cheerleaders, The Leprechaun also acts as a foremost ambassador for the University of Notre Dame as the Fighting Irish travel across the nation. He engages in several community service initiatives, makes public appearances, and promotes good will wherever he travels.

The Leprechaun also leads the raucous student section at Fighting Irish basketball games which is aptly named "The Leprechaun Legion." This fiercely loyal contingency of diehards is known to inspire fear in the hearts of all opposing players, earning them consistent rankings as one of the top student cheering sections in NCAA basketball.

Tryouts

Tryouts to become The Leprechaun take place over a grueling month long process each spring. Prospect leprechauns are presented with several mental and physical challenges that only true leprechauns are capable of completing 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 dashingly handsome young man with the exceptional ability to grow a chinstrap beard will be chosen. Candidates must also prove that they seek to become the leprechaun for the right reasons, and they must truly have a special love for the tradition and spirit of Notre Dame in their hearts.