Luck Of The Irish. Disney’s Forgotten St. Patrick’s Day Movie.

Out of all the popular holidays, St. Patrick’s Day is one on the lower end since it is usually celebrated by a specific set of people. Most people enjoy Christmas, Halloween, Valentine’s Day, and even Easter. But on St. Patrick’s Day, the most you get is people wearing green shirt and making an excuse to drink.

When it comes to movies there, happen to be very few centered around this Irish holiday. And one of those films was made by Disney. The Luck of the Irish was a 2001 made-for-television film for the Disney Channel. While not specifically about St. Patrick’s Day, it is still about Irish heritage, lucky gold coins, and leprechauns. 



The story follows Kyle Johnson (Played by: Ryan Merriman), a 15-year-old high school student blessed with good luck thanks to his lucky coin. He gets almost everything he wants in life and is one of the best players on the basketball team. The only thing he doesn’t know about is his family’s heritage, as his parents refuse to discuss it.



After going to a local Irish festival, he realizes that his lucky coin was stolen, and he begins to change. He gets shorter, his hair turns red, and his ears become pointy. He finds out that he is half-leprechaun on his mother’s side. At first they believe his grandfather stole it as he and his daughter had a falling out.



They later find that a man named Shamus McTieran is the real thief and is a leprechaun who steals lucky coins. To get the coin back Kyle and his friend Russell compete in traditional Irish sports but end up tying. To break the tie, they play basketball. In the end, Kyle gets back his lucky coin, and Shamus is banished to Lake Eire.

While it isn’t a blockbuster, it is a fun little film that is sure to bring out the leprechaun in anyone, especially if they celebrate the holiday. To anybody who has ever wanted a movie to watch for St. Patrick’s Day, this is the film for you.