Published on Tuesday, March 17, 2026

By James Brodell

Those who hike the mountains and empty spaces know the secret: Costa Rica is full of vindictive Leprechauns.


Most people here think that the little people are restricted to Ireland. The world is much smaller now, and travel is easier. If some invasive bug can travel from Asia to infect a flower here, why not a family headed by a very crafty patriarch from Galway?


The little people generally keep to themselves and set up underground housekeeping in rural spaces. Yet these magical beings are known to be cantankerous, particularly doing unwelcome pranks to those who mistreat nature or the many beautiful woodlands.

 

Plant poachers are numerous here too. They steal valuable and sometimes rare plants for resale. Ever wonder why there is so much car trouble during holidays when the plant thieves abound. The ancient little folk despise such types, and are known to cause mechanical trouble with the flick of the hand: an overheated radiator, a blown tire, a frozen bearing. These are not just the results of ordinary wear. This is the way the little people protect their turf.


If you suffered a flat tire shortly after leaving trash on a Pacific beach, you may be suffering from the Wrath of the Little Folk. Sometimes they can be a little more vicious and throw unexpected objects at those they identify as deserving punishment. Coconuts can leave a big mark.


Remember when a government minister was mauled and bruised by a bulky mother dante in the Corcovado wilderness. Leprechauns have mental relationships with forest animals and can easily get the critters to do their bidding.

By profession, most Leprechauns are miners. That's how they fill their pots of gold. Ever wonder why the Canadian firm's plan to mine gold in the Cutris de San Carlos area, near the Nicaragua border, was thwarted? The high public officials who tried to advance the open pit mining proposal there even faced lengthy legal issues.


So, the truth is that much of the negative bumps in Costa Rica's history can be better explained if one seeks out the possible impact of unhappy little folks.


So this St. Patrick's day would be a good time to placate the local mystical inhabitants by hoisting a full glass of whiskey from the Emerald Isle and then leaving another full glass on the doorstep outside where the local environmental protectors will find it.


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James Brodell, A.M. Costa Rica editor emeritus, is a retired journalism professor and a New York Metro area newspaper editor. He has studied U.S. open records and open meeting laws extensively. He can be reached at JBrodell@jamesbrodell.com or Jay@amcostarica.com.

Check out Brodell literary offerings here at 5440north.com or JamesBrodell.com -Copyright James J. Brodell 2026-

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The views or opinions expressed in this article are the sole and exclusive responsibility of the author and do not necessarily represent the opinion of A.M. Costa Rica.

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