This New Series Depicts The Experience of Growing Up Black-Irish
Black Leprechaun is a new web series comedy-drama depicting the lived experience of growing up Black and Irish. The series explores how Irish identity is perceived when you are part of an ethnic minority, delving into the nuances of feeling Irish but being with confronted with a society which can struggle to accept that at times. We spoke to series creator Éyum Priscilla to learn more.
“What does it mean to be Black and Irish?
To be Black and Irish is to balance two truths, two cultures and two nationalities. It is to feel slightly out of place in two settings constantly looking for where your feet can land. To be Black and Irish is to call two places home but never truly feel like you belong. It’s a very strange feeling but one I wouldn’t change for the world because in the otherness there’s thousands of people who can relate, and it makes you realize you’re never truly alone because you carry the story of so many.”
In Black Leprechaun, series creator Éyum Priscilla stars as Elakeche, a Nigerian-Irish girl in her final year of school. This is a coming of age tale with themes of nationality, identity, colourism, and belonging. Here, we get to see the world through Elakeche’s eyes, unlearning unconscious biases and confronting the internalised racism that has quietly shaped how she sees herself and her place in the world.
In modern Ireland, those from immigrant heritage have to fight for their Irish identity in the eyes of the public, this series shows the parts of that experience that most who haven’t lived it, can easily overlook.
Where does the inspiration for the show come from?
“The whole thing started from receiving racist comments online. Earlier this year I was in the airport traveling with some of my British friends to an EU country and while waiting after my very speedy check in I made a video stating how much I loved being Irish. Little did I know this video would go viral. My comments were flooded with people telling me I don’t ‘look’ Irish. Dozens of hate comments came flooding in. It got me thinking and remembering what it was like growing up in Dublin. I even remembered the time someone called me a ‘Black Leprechaun’ So I decided to reclaim the narrative.”
Black-Irish representation in media is few and far between. An accurate depiction of the Black-Irish experience is even more rare. Black Leprechaun is a chance for Black-made media to own the narrative of their story. Black Leprechaun does not just depict one story, it depicts a shared epxerience of thousands.
Do you think the experiences in the show represent a wider lived experience by the Black Irish community?
“1000% after the trailer was released so many people messaged saying how much they related, that they’ve been through the same thing. People began to share their stories. Black Leprechaun isn’t just my story, it’s hundreds of people’s.”
The series is not only a self-serving project for the consumption of the Black-Irish community. But how do you communicate the intricacies of your lived epxeriences? The show’s humourous edge packages deep narratives surrounding racism and ignorance into scenes that will elicit more than just a giggle.
How do you balance the tone of the show whilst still addressing a serious issue such as racism?
“Humor is such a powerful tool. Yes the show speaks about very serious topics but I wanted to find a way that we can still find the humor. Racism isn’t funny but something about ignorance is, a teacher meaning well but being miles off. Confusing Caribbean culture for Nigerian traditions. Or them trying they’re hardest to be ‘woke’ and ‘politically’ correct in fear of getting cancelled. In every situation humor can be found, and that’s exactly what I wanted for Black Leprechaun.“
If you’ve ever felt like the “other”, if you’ve ever felt the eyes burning into you on the bus, or if you’ve ever experienced that ingenuous smile with undertones you can’t quite put your finger on – this is your story.
What are the nuances of racism that the show depicts that Irish audiences may not have even thought about before?
“We usually see racism as one thing; bigotry. But it is a lot more nuanced than that, racism has a cousin called ignorance, which I touched on before. Over zealous characters like Mr O’Reily or Miss McCarthy who mean well but end up making Elakeche even more uncomfortable. I would love audiences to become aware of the difference as a lot of people fall into the ignorance category. The goal of Black Leprechaun is to educate but also to entertain. I don’t want it to feel like a lesson on what not to do but just to bring awareness. To make people reflect on things that probably wouldn’t have crossed their mind before.“
