A DEFIANT leprechaun has vowed to flout new busking laws and declared: “I’ll keep going until they jail me.”
Street performer Gerry Barry said he’s been blown away by the public support since hitting the headlines earlier this month.
Barry and his co-performer nephew Damien recently appeared before Cork District Court, where they were given four months to comply with the city’s controversial new busking bye-laws.
The street performing rules came into effect in Cork city in May 2024 to regulate the location, duration, and volume of busking in the city.
And although he says they will comply with the court order to get a street performing licence, Gerry still opposes a number of the regulations, which he says make it impossible to perform.
Barry and his nephew ply their trade outside Brown Thomas on St Patrick’s Street dressed as leprechauns, and are a popular attraction.
As they performed last week, Gerry told The Irish Sun: “My problem is, I’m a bit of a rebel. Not a rebel in a bad way but I am not afraid to stand up for what I believe in.
“We are a visual act. It’s hard to move it around after two hours and set up again. So it’s very hard to move and comply with the new laws.
“I am the longest-serving street performer, if you like, and I’ve been doing this here for 39 years.
“We have a massive local support and are a tourist attraction.
“When tourists take a walk through the town they are only delighted to see a leprechaun — it’s a part of the whole experience for them.
“Like I said I am a bit of a rebel unfortunately and I am prepared to go to jail over this. I’ll keep going until they jail me.”
Gerry said visitors often tell him they’d hoped to see a leprechaun during their visit to Ireland.
He said: “When you go to Florida you expect to see Mickey Mouse, don’t you!? It’s the same here. The feedback we get generally is, we didn’t think it would be so easy to find one.”
Under the new laws, buskers must fork out for street performing permits and confine their performances to designated zones at specific times.
They also have to observe strict noise limits, and cease busking in some zones at 8pm, with busking in the city prohibited beyond 10pm.
‘UNFAIRLY TARGETED’
Gerry believes he is being unfairly targeted and believes his act adds to the tourists’ experience of the city.
He said: “We would be one of the biggest local attractions.
“It looks easy to perform as a leprechaun but it’s not. It’s not about the costume, it’s about having the confidence to perform for people.
“To make that special connection, to make a special memory with them, similar to how you would see street performers in America, giant Buzz Lightyears in Vegas and so on.
“When you think of Ireland you think of leprechauns and St Patrick, of course you do — what would St Patrick make of all this?”
