Shileadi

Saint Patrick did not, in fact, drive out all of the snakes in Ireland. The Shileadi still remain, albeit hard to detect. Their distorted form resembles the well-known walking stick known as the "shillelagh". Many people have mistakenly reached for one of the Shileadi, thinking it to be a common tree branch, only to have it escape into the underbrush. Attributing the unusual sighting of a crawling Shileadi to the magic of leprechauns, the snakes are largely unmolested and thrive in the hill country. They are non-poisonous, and keep many farms free of rodents. When rats are not available, they will eat a leprechaun or two.