NARRATOR: On this episode of "Destination Truth,"
Josh and his team traverse the deserts of Israel
to the ruins of Masada —
an ancient fortress with a terrible past.
1,000 feet above the ground,
is this legendary site still home to the restless spirits
who died here more than 2,000 years ago?
I see movement up there. Do you see that?
GATES: I got it. We're clear.
NARRATOR: Next, Team Truth investigates the epic countryside of Ireland,
where residents say the story of the leprechaun
is no fairy tale.
I saw three little people sitting on a rock.
They were about so high.
Josh takes the investigation underground
to discover the truth behind this Irish mini-man.
- Ryder? - Josh?
Hold on.
GATES: I'm Josh Gates.
In my travels, I've seen some unexplainable things
and I've done some things I can't quite explain.
Now, I've pulled together a team armed
with the latest technology in the search for answers
to the world's strangest mysteries.
I'm not sure what's out there waiting for me,
but I know what I'm looking for — the truth.
It's common knowledge that headlines sell newspapers.
Tell me this one wouldn't lure you in —
"1,00 People Found Dead, Victims of a Mass Suicide."
This sensational news story took place 2,000 years ago
in the vast Judean desert on a mountaintop called Masada.
Here, a group of 960 Jewish rebels —
men, women, and children — revolted from Jerusalem
and made a desperate last stand,
deciding to take their own lives
rather than surrender to Roman rule.
Today, locals claim the site is haunted by the restless spirits
of those who perished during the siege.
People report unexplainable black masses
and the sound of voices atop the mesa.
This was going to be one of our most
challenging investigations ever.
Masada, after all, was chosen as a stronghold for a reason.
Surrounded on all sides by sheer cliffs
and perched in one of the most inhospitable deserts on Earth,
even the Roman army struggled to prevail here.
Add to that the fact that no investigation team
has ever been granted permission to spend the night
on top of this reportedly haunted plateau.
Well, all that is about to change.
My team and I geared up to travel to Israel
to begin the world's first investigation
into the ghosts of Masada.
Racking up a respectable 7,563 frequent flier miles,
we flew from Los Angeles to Tel Aviv, Israel.
The rental-car company told us
our vehicle would be parked curbside,
and they weren't kidding.
Perfect. Just perfect.
We left the airport, headed for the ancient
holy city of Jerusalem,
where the Jewish revolt began.
We'd meet with experts here before following
the path of the rebels south
to reach the 2,000-year-old ruins of Masada —
that is, if our car could make it.
This is my top speed.
It's like I'm piloting the tram from Disneyland.
[ Horn honks ]
Go around. Go around.
Finally, it gave out altogether.
[ Engine not turning over ]
Hi. I'm gonna need a new rental car.
As soon as you can. Shalom.
We left our yellow Wrangler in the dust
and acquired a vehicle with considerably fewer miles
on the odometer to get us to Jerusalem.
They don't call it the Promised Land for nothing.
♪
The tourist markets on the outskirts of the old city
are littered with only the classiest
religious paraphernalia.
This truly is a Mecca for sacred tee shirts,
wholesale menorahs, and divine tableware.
They have some "Last Supper" place mats,
which, nothing says "classy"
like just putting a bowl of spaghetti on top of Jesus.
[ Laughs ]
Also, the merchants are a little touchy-feely.
Sir, are you trying to kiss me?
I see you getting very close. I just didn't know
if you were trying to come — there we go.
Past the kitsch, though, is one of the oldest cities on Earth
and a nexus for three of the world's
most powerful religions.
To meet our first expert, I was going to have to navigate
a maze of narrow streets that would take me back in time.
I paused at the Wailing Wall, believed to be the last remnant
of the great temple that housed the Ark of the Covenant.
Jews have prayed here for millennia.
I continued past the ornate Dome of the Rock,
the oldest Islamic building in the world
and purportedly the place where Muhammad ascended to heaven.
And as I descended into the heart of the old city,
I passed through the Church of the Holy Sepulchre,
the site of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ
and the location of his tomb.
♪
Emerging on the other side of town,
I met up with Danny Herman.
He's an expert on the history of Masada.
Tell me about Masada today.
Masada today is, for one thing, a symbol in our culture.
It's also a major tourist site.
Is this a place that people go to at night?
No. I wouldn't feel comfortable there at night.
I'll be frank with you.
I mean, 960 people died there.
The place is very famous, but very tragic.
Historian Aviad Amiki told me about a recent excavation team
that felt practically run off the mountain
by its unseen residents.
So, we're talking about a group that was excavating Masada.
And during the night, when they were sleeping there,
they heard all kind of noises, and they interpret these voices
and whistles and noise of the winds as ghosts.
And in Judaism, if someone wasn't brought
to the proper burial, their spirit never settled,
and it very well might be still in the area.
And I feel it.
When you're there, you definitely feel it.
Hopeful that we might be able to document
some of this activity for ourselves,
we exited the city and headed south.
Our trek from Jerusalem to Masada would take us
directly into the Judean desert
and through the lowest point on Earth.
This is the home of the Dead Sea,
known for having the saltiest water on the planet
and for attracting tourists
who flock here to bob on its surface.
Parched and overheated, my crew cooked up
their own rebellious plan.
Josh, just this one time, please.
You have 20 minutes. Go.
♪ Hey, hey, we're the Monkees ♪
♪ And people say we monkey around ♪
♪ But we're too busy singing ♪
♪ To put anybody down ♪
They deserve a break.
♪ Hey, hey we're the Monkees ♪
♪ And people say we monkey around ♪
♪ But we're too busy singing ♪
♪ To put anybody down ♪
♪ We're just trying to be friendly ♪
♪ Come and watch us sing and play ♪
♪ We're the young generation ♪
♪ And we've got something to say ♪
GATES: Having used up their brief vacation time,
we got back on the road
and continued on our journey to Masada.
The inhospitable landscape here seems utterly barren,
but hearty residents still call this land home.
We stopped to talk with a few locals
to find out what it's like to be neighbors with Masada.
When you visit Masada, what is the feeling of Masada?
If you concentrate...
Do you see things, or do you just feel them?
Before tackling Masada, we needed to get
a better perspective on the geological marvel
that we'd be investigating.
For months, the Jewish rebels
hid in the crumbling fortress of Masada
that was previously abandoned by King Herod the Great
while the Roman army built massive siege camps
and a retaining wall below.
With the only path to the summit too narrow
to let the army invade, the Romans constructed
a massive earthen ramp
that would allow them to ascend the mountain
and take the rebels out.
Looking on helplessly, in the final hours,
the rebels did the unthinkable and called for a mass suicide.
When the Romans finally punched through the walls,
all they found was silence and death.
Back on the ground, my team and I journeyed
to the foothills of Masada,
where we were about to begin a two-mile hike
up the winding Snake Path.
A modern cable car runs to the plateau during the day,
but we wanted to reach the top the same way the rebels did.
Carrying 50-pound cases,
we struggled in the 100-degree heat.
- Oh, my god. - It doesn't sound broken.
This is why we have no nice things.
Thank you.
Sweat-soaked and tired,
we reached the summit just before nightfall.
We were now utterly alone and about to be the very first
to investigate this historic site under cover of darkness.
Hey, guys, we got about a half hour before the sun sets.
So, let's get base camp up and running and get to it.
We set up four infrared cameras
along the steep edges of the plateau.
These cameras would focus on the ruins
and allow us to record any movement in the dark.
We also rigged trap cameras
in areas where sightings have been reported.
Copy that. It looks great, Max.
Vanessa would monitor this equipment throughout the night.
This is a really rare opportunity that we have.
This site has historical significance,
archaeological, and religious significance.
So, we need to treat it with a lot of respect,
leave no impact here.
What we're up here to do is to see if there is
any sort of residual energy, as people claim.
People have said that they heard whistles, voices, moans.
There are basically 1,000-foot cliffs
encircling this whole fortress.
One false move and you're done.
- Let's get at it, guys. - Yeah.
Ryder, Mike and I made our way to the north of our base camp
to the synagogue, where many people
have reported hearing voices.
Bobby and Rex headed to the eastern part of the site,
following up on reports of strange lights and sounds.
- Ryder? - Yeah?
You find something. - It's the synagogue.
This is actually the oldest synagogue in the world.
- Really? - Yeah.
It's the oldest synagogue ever found in the world.
Let's start by doing an EVP session here, Mike.
Let's just post up here.
We'll get the digital recorder out
and just let it roll for a while.
MIKE: Okay. That's a good idea.
Can you give us a sign of your presence?
Is there anybody here?
It sounds like something is almost pacing around
the perimeter of the synagogue.
What's that? I see movement up there.
Do you see that? - Where?
- Right up there. - Outside?
Outside, on the second structure, right there.
GATES: I got it on the FLIR: Hold on. Hold on.
RYDER: What's that? I see movement up there.
- Where? - Right up there.
On the second structure, right there.
GATES: I got it on the FLIR: Hold on. Hold on.
Whatever it was, it's like I saw it for a second,
and then...
It's almost, just, like, it was, like, smoke.
Like, it just vanished.
Well, whatever it was, it was on that wall
or just right behind it.
Let's go check it out. Come on.
I don't see anything. Do you?
No. I don't see anything.
Is this the area where you think you saw it?
Yeah. Right up over here.
It looked like — Ryder, it looked like
it would have been right here.
Yeah.
I don't see anything, though.
I think this is the old bathhouse.
Let's go look in here.
Think I can still get a massage?
I certainly hope so.
I would love a deep-tissue treatment right now.
Look at this.
That's the original fresco.
MIKE: Wow. That's cool.
It's so rare to see all the pigments
and paints that vivid and intact.
That's incredible.
[ Sniffing ]
I think I can still smell a bunch of sweaty men.
- Yeah. - That's because I'm still with three of them.
It's true. We stink.
It's true.
[ Unexplained noise ]
Yeah.
GATES: Ryder, watch your footing.
It's about a 1,000-foot fall.
Okay.
We're basically hanging off the side of the mountain
on these little staircases.
But this will wrap us around to the northern palace.
All of this would have been part of his palace complex,
and it also would have been where a lot of the zealots
would have been living.
This is probably the best-preserved
part of the entire site.
This is Herod's Palace.
And you can see, there's still plaster and paint and columns.
It's just unbelievable.
Do you hear that?
Yeah. I do hear that.
It's like a thumping.
What is that?
[ Unexplained drumbeats ]
It sounds kind of rhythmic.
I wonder what that could be.
MIKE: Back in ancient Roman times,
where would the Romans have been kept out?
Well, the Romans had eight camps circling Masada.
The main one is on the other side,
but there certainly would be one or two down here at the base.
RYDER: Right there, to your right, I see him, right on your camera.
The diamond on the wall? - Yeah.
- Oh, there's one, right there. Yeah. - Yeah.
GATES: So, there's a Roman camp right there.
I think the only thing down there is that Roman camp,
which is abandoned.
And that would be, like, the direction that we heard
the thumping coming from.
Just feels like it's right below us.
I mean, there was no doubt.
Whoa. - What?
What was that?
- Do you see something? - No. I hear something below us.
[ Unexplained noise ]
[ Gasps ]
I see something right there.
I can't see far enough down.
[ Gasps ] - Whoa.
Hello? Is anybody else here?
All I see is rocks, and I don't see anything else down there.
I just saw something move right under the floor.
- What did it look like? - It was black.
I just saw it, through the slats, move underneath,
like, a black figure or a black shadow.
MIKE: Hello?
Hold on. Big spike.
RYDER: It's all the way to 2.
GATES: Almost 3.
What was that?
GATES: There's something. I just saw it move down there, Ryder.
Josh, I don't see anything.
Right there. right there.
What was that?
Right there. Right there.
I see it. You got anything?
- I see rocks. - I swear to you,
I just saw a black shadow go right under this floor.
- It's hard to... - It's sealed off down there.
It's like an access point.
Do you feel like what you're seeing is something biological,
or do you think it's something — - No. No.
It was not giving off heat.
It registered as black, which is cold.
I'm covered in goose bumps.
It's gone.
Hey, guys, let's take the thermal recording,
let's get it back to base camp,
get new tapes, and head back out again.
- Let's do it. - Okay.
- Ready to go?
- Yeah. - Good.
- Hey, guys, what's up? - Hey, how's it going?
So, how was the south?
It was a pretty interesting sweep.
In a few minutes, we heard a very faint drum sounding
that was pounding in intervals of three —
just boom, boom, boom.
It seems like we may be hearing the exact same thing
'cause it's very similar to this,
you know, low kind of beating noise
that we heard in the northern palace.
Well, the interesting thing to me is,
we're out in the middle of nowhere.
And to be hearing a drum, like, who's doing a drum circle
out here, especially at 1,200 feet?
It seemed like it was coming from almost
off the mesa somewhere,
but we looked out in the darkness
and we couldn't really pinpoint it.
There's a lot of stuff, already, to take a look at,
but we really want to get down to the southern part of the site
and check the acoustics down there.
People say they hear a lot of whispers and moans
and things like that.
So, we're going to head down to the southern part
of the site now.
We'll see you guys later.
This is, basically, the southern edge of the site.
It looks like there's a bunch of canyons
and some more rises over there.
Hello?
[ Echoing back ] Hello?
That's neat.
There's a full delay on it before you hear it again.
It's amazing.
People say they hear weird noises here.
Why don't you do this, Mike?
Why don't you pull out the parabolic dish
and see how low we can be talking
and you actually hear it bounce back?
We could try it.
As far as the parabolic goes,
I'm not really going to turn the sensitivity up too loud
because we want to get a sense
of what people were hearing with their ears.
So, I'm just gonna kind of focus it
to certain areas of the canyon.
GATES: Great. Let's do it.
Also, Mike, let's start with the loudest first.
Ryder, that's definitely you.
I'm gonna take that as a compliment.
Try not to blow my eardrums out, okay?
[ Whistles ]
[ Whistle echoes back ]
I mean you're, like, a construction worker?
We're gonna be very quiet.
We'll just settle, and we'll try to do it
almost at just regular speaking voice.
Go ahead.
Hello.
[Faint echo ] Hello.
I heard that. I heard it.
- Really? - Yeah. I did.
- That's madness. - I heard a blip.
- That's crazy. - Mm-hmm.
So, even at, basically, just, normal conversational level,
the canyons and the walls are actually
bouncing your words back to the site.
So, imagine, you know, the wind really kicking.
I'm sure these canyons start singing, you know?
That's really interesting.
You know, I mean, possibly, the people that are claiming
that they hear voices and noises and whispers
and moans up here are really hearing
just reverberations from these canyon walls.
Okay. Let's stroll back.
With the sun on the horizon,
we made the long trip out of the desert
and back to the States.
After reviewing all of the footage,
we found some intriguing evidence
and met up with Jason and Grant
to get their take on our findings.
First, I wanted their opinion on the strange drumming noises
that both teams heard during our investigation.
- Do you hear that? - Yeah. I do hear that.
It's like a thumping.
What is that?
RYDER: It sounds kind of rhythmic.
I wonder what that could be.
Well, it's interesting.
You can definitely hear what sounds like drums.
I think, when it comes down to it, you need to remember
that this is a very large desert,
and you're filming at night.
So, there's the whole sound-refraction issue,
which, sound travels much further at night
than during the day.
Yeah. As the heat of the day rises, it creates a ceiling.
And so, instead of sound bouncing off the ground
and going into the sky, it just continues.
It may be that we are hearing reverberations here
from somewhere else in the desert.
Yeah. Very possible,
especially when it comes down to a bass-y sound, like a drum.
it's just gonna go that much further.
GATES: Having dismissed the drumming,
we turn to our most compelling evidence.
I'd love to have you guys just take a look at this
and react to it and let me know what you think.
- All right. - Okay.
- I got it. - Right there.
- Hold on. Hold on. - Do you see it?
Whoa.
I'd love to have you guys just take a look at this
and react to it and let me know what you think.
- All right. - Okay.
I got it on the FLIR: Hold on. Hold on.
Whoa.
Holy cow. - Yeah. Rewind back to that.
GATES: I think the thing that's important to remember here
is that, we're on top of a mesa with 1,000-foot cliffs.
There's nobody up here. We're completely alone.
That, to me, is like there's a dude there.
It looks like a person. Go frame by frame.
It starts moving, right?
Well, you can even see the hands.
Look. - That's wild.
It looks like somebody standing there in a robe.
And then, it just disappears.
- Yeah. It moves. - It turns and disappears.
That's phenomenal.
That thermal image would probably be enough to say,
"Yeah, it's got activity."
I got to be honest, I'm jealous of you
with that piece of evidence.
That's an awesome piece of evidence.
GATES: Our investigation in the Holy Land
left us with conflicting results.
On one hand, we were able to debunk the sounds of voices
as potent canyon echoes...
That's really interesting.
and the sounds of drumming were likely just the same.
On the other hand, arresting thermal evidence
supported a paranormal presence.
To those who travel to Masada and climb to its lonely ruins,
the power of this place is undeniable.
Just be sure to look over your shoulder from time to time.
You might be less alone here than you think.
I've never been one to make much of a fuss
about St. Patrick's Day.
After all, my English roots run pretty deep.
I don't run around dressed in green
and I certainly don't believe in leprechauns.
After all, a fancy little pipe-smoking creature
who guards gold and cobbles shoes
doesn't exactly smack of reality.
But it turns out that belief in the leprechaun dates back
thousands of years to Celtic settlers
and Viking invaders who described entire races
of creatures that once populated ancient Ireland.
And then, I read something that was truly magically delicious.
The European Commission has recently designated an area
in Western Ireland as, and I quote,
"a protected area for the little people."
Many Irish citizens believe that the leprechaun
is a resident of an unseen realm called "the fairy world,"
made up of biological entities who lurk deep in forests
and underground in hidden caves.
Sightings date back to time immemorial,
but the most recent reports are concentrated
in the enchanted hills of County Clare
along the western coast.
We're all familiar with his depiction in pop culture,
but we took our cues from real-life run-ins
to come up with this digital interpretation
of the leprechaun.
Spotted mostly at night in the rural countryside,
this ancient Irish mini-man
is as elusive as he is famous.
Standing at a mere 24 inches high,
this tiny humanoid creature is distinguished
as having long, pointed ears
and a deeply weathered face.
He's almost always described as having reddish hair
and an overgrown beard.
Witnesses claim that his greatest defensive asset
is his incredible speed,
which allows him to move quickly
through the overgrown forest and mossy underbrush,
making him nearly impossible to track.
My team and I packed up our gear and set out to explore
the green hills of Ireland in hopes of turning up proof
of its most infamous miniature resident.
We flew 12 hours from Los Angeles to the city of Dublin
where they call soccer "football,"
a beer is "a pint,"
and you can even bump into a leprechaun
right at the airport.
I can't believe it.
I cannot believe it.
I'm here looking for a leprechaun.
I flew to Ireland looking for a leprechaun.
I found five in the airport.
You're flying to where?
For what?
Okay.
Suspicious that these men
may not have been actual leprechauns,
we loaded our gear into a four-by-four vehicle
for the journey ahead.
We made our way out of the airport
and into the city center where, even today,
the modern world and ancient Ireland
are still intertwined in a maze of Celtic symbols,
medieval architecture, and soaring cathedrals.
The cobblestone pavement proved to be
a challenge for Ryder's luggage.
Ryder, how many times have I told you?
You've got to pack lighter. - This is light.
And as we walked through Dublin's winding streets,
we found the leprechaun was definitely a part
of the commercial landscape.
Johnny, Joseph, Jonathan, Joan, Jimmy, Jill, Jeanette, Jason.
This is outrageous.
You know, maybe, instead, just go with Feargal.
I don't want to be Feargal.
Come here often?
I'm from here.
[ Laughs ]
So, the key is, we want to blend in with the locals.
Mesh right in.
Strolling the streets in our new Irish fashions,
we were feeling confident that we were running under the radar,
and we made our way to meet up with our first interview,
resident folklorist Johnny Daily.
Well, tell me a little bit about how the leprechaun
fits into ancient Irish folklore.
The belief in this other world and this underworld
and this fairy world,
it existed in many ancient folk societies.
But with the arrival of the Roman Empire,
these old pagan beliefs were pushed aside and suppressed.
Do you think the earliest people who came to Ireland
were having some sort of physical encounters
with something biological
and had to sort of put a name to it?
That's the question, isn't it?
Is it our imagination, or is it real?
But you talk to people,
people who have had experiences with this world,
they believe it's very real to them.
If gonna find a leprechaun, I need to do what?
The best time is to be out there at nighttime...
Out at night.
around glens, ditches, caves.
Be open to it.
And what about having a few pints?
Well, having a few pints will probably make you
a lot more open to it, definitely.
- Great. - You'll be open to seeing loads of different things.
So, I should be drinking.
Ryder, can you start making a list, please?
RYDER: Sure.
Case of whiskey? - Case of whiskey.
And how many beers would you...
Oh, a good keg should do him fine.
- A keg. - Oh, okay.
Johnny assured us that no amount of alcohol
would reveal the leprechaun here in Dublin.
We'd need to travel to the distant
and rural town of Doolin, where leprechauns and fairies
are spotted frequently.
Our drive would take us more than 200 miles
clear across country
to the far western reaches of Ireland.
On the way, I identified the most difficult job
in Ireland — meteorologist.
It was sunny 10 seconds ago, and now, it's hailing.
Ireland, get your act together.
Our cross-country road trip felt like a journey back in time.
Mile after mile, Ireland's magnificent rolling countryside
seemed like something out of a fairy tale.
And it wasn't hard to imagine why people here believe
this land is enchanted.
Listen, I'm no leprechaun expert, but pretty much
we should just head towards the end of that rainbow, right?
Absolutely. Wait. You're sure you're not an expert?
No. I mean, I'm becoming an expert.
I'm getting there.
Nearing our destination, we stop to talk
with lifelong resident Kevin Woods,
who says he had a recent close encounter with a leprechaun.
What did you see?
Well, I saw three little people sitting on a rock,
and it was 11 o'clock in the morning.
I was totally transfixed. I couldn't move.
They were about so high, maybe 12, 14, 15 inches high.
News of Kevin's sighting traveled all the way
to the executive branch of Ireland's government,
and astonishingly, they took the news very seriously.
We got word about six weeks ago that this area
has been designated
as an area of special protection —
special protection for the little people.
So, there'll be no development.
There'll be no more cutting the trees and destroying
the whole environment here for these people.
And if I'm looking for a leprechaun,
do you think it's possible for me to see one?
I think it's possible, yeah, if you open your eyes.
You look anywhere that is in this area,
because the evidence is here that they are here.
Next, we heard about a pub owner who claims to have the bones
of a leprechaun on display in his bar.
Now, this I had to see.
There it is — leprechaun bones.
Mickey, the pub's owner, proudly unlocked the case
to his prized possession.
You think those are leprechaun bones?
Aye.
Well, I wouldn't want to dispute it, because I'd be afraid to.
Right. Of course.
And have you ever thought about having the bones tested
to see what they really are?
Oh, that'd be bad luck.
So, that's a "no"? That'd be a no.
I photographed the bones for later analysis in Los Angeles.
I was disappointed that we couldn't take a sample.
So, I did what seemed natural
and drowned my sorrows over a pint with my crew.
♪
To the leprechaun.
We were told that, if we were going to find a leprechaun,
we were going to need to drink.
That was actually what they said to us.
- This is work right now. - This is research.
This is research. - First beer, Rex?
[ Laughter ]
I forgot how fun research was.
Research is great.
Can we get some more research over here, please?
If drinking a pint would help us see the leprechaun,
then my team and I were going for a full-on close encounter.
Exhausted from our long day of research,
we would have to continue our investigation in the morning.
After our night on the town, I felt like the leprechaun
was cobbling on my head,
but we pressed on to the west.
After our nearly two full days of travel,
we arrived at the charming town of Doolin
on the west coast of Ireland.
Here, the country ends abruptly at the 700-foot-tall
Cliffs of Moher.
Settled more than 1,000 years ago,
this county is home to the most recent sightings.
And with ancient castles,
waterfalls that spill upward and Ireland's sunniest weather,
it certainly felt as though I was
in the heart of leprechaun country.
I paid a visit to Eddie Lenihan, a local historian
and author who, after years
of telling tales of leprechauns,
finally had the privilege of seeing one for himself.
Eddie explained that his sighting
was near a fairy fort, or ring.
These ancient ruins provided shelter,
but many locals believe
they contain underground entrances
to the leprechaun's world.
And do you believe that these fairy rings or these fairy forts
are powerful places?
He went on to warn me about dangerous caves
hidden deep in the forest
that also link to this underworld.
I wanted to investigate further.
So, we made a plan to traverse
the remote countryside on horseback
to try to find the place
that the locals believe is the key
to locating the leprechaun.
Okay, guys.
We're gonna split up, go down some of these old trails.
Just keep your eyes open, see what you can see, okay?
Ryder, you're with me. Come on.
We honed in on the area where eyewitness claimed
to spot the creatures and searched out the ring,
as well as any nearby habitats
that could, theoretically, conceal such an animal.
Ryder, check this out.
This is the fairy ring he was talking about.
RYDER: I know local people don't often just walk inside them.
Right. They don't often come in here.
They're very superstitious about them. And we, of course,
have just trotted right inside of one.
But this — then, they would say that, if you do that,
a leprechaun or a fairy will come out
and you will see one.
And I don't see one yet. What I do see is,
there's a forest, obviously, up on the ridge,
and we should definitely try to get up there later.
We've heard people have actually seen things and lights
and movement in that forest.
GATES: The day was growing short.
Ryder and I met up with the rest of the team,
and we headed into the forest.
As darkness fell, we established a base camp
and set up our equipment.
We positioned four infrared cameras 300 feet from base camp
in four different directions.
These cameras would spot anything lurking around our camp
in the darkness.
Beyond the IR cameras, we set up four digital track cameras,
programmed to start firing photos
at the slightest sign of movement.
Finally, we established an infrared perimeter fence.
Multiple sensors would transmit and alert back to base camp
if anything tripped through its invisible beam.
Vanessa would monitor all of the equipment throughout the night.
You know, I think that, just in terms of a reality check
of what we're doing out here, that both the leprechaun
and the story of fairies go back thousands of years.
We're really here because there are still people in this part
of the country who have a strong belief
in these things, claim they see these things.
And we're out here to see if we can put a face
on what it is that they're seeing.
If anybody does catch a leprechaun tonight,
people say to hold on tight to them
and that you can steal his pot of gold.
So, that's a little incentive for all of you.
I'm gonna take Ryder and Evan.
We're gonna do an initial sweep
down through the southern edge of the forest.
While we're doing that, you can start sending
sweep teams out from here, as well.
Let's do it, guys. Come on.
It's thick in here.
I don't see anything. Do you?
RYDER: No. Not yet.
Some streams.
It'd be hard to see footprints in here.
This ground is all mossy.
Pretty quiet, except for that wind.
Very, very quiet.
Okay.
Let's keep moving.
Oh, the FLIR: right there.
It's pretty quiet except for that wind.
GATES: Very, very quiet.
Okay.
Let's keep moving.
Oh, the FLIR: right there.
What?
Heat signature right on the FLIR: just saw it.
I just got a weird heat signature,
went right behind a tree.
I lost it. Whatever it is went right back in there.
All right. Well, let's cruise over there.
Let's go.
All right. Vanessa, we'll let you know if we see anything.
Okay.
BOBBY: Wait a second.
- I think there... - Hang on.
There's something showing up on the FLIR
behind a rock. Right there.
MIKE: Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Definitely.
Is it moving?
No. But it's, like, down in that tree.
See how bright that is?
Definitely.
I wonder if that's a leprechaun's house,
and we're catching the light out of his window.
Look at that.
It's completely bright compared to everything else.
[In Irish accent] Come out, little wee man.
[Normal voice] You need a bigger stick, buddy.
It might not be a leprechaun,
but a badger may come out and bite you on the neck.
It's getting red-hot down there, man.
Okay. Bobby, I just scooped this out right here.
Is it showing up on your thermal?
Yeah. It's bright.
It's glowing, dude, red-hot compared
to everything else around us.
Yeah. We should grab the evidence kit and,
you know, bag a little bit of this stuff.
And then, at least, see what it is.
I mean, it could just be really mineral-rich soil, you know?
- Bobby to base camp. - Go for base.
Can we get the evidence kit out here?
We would love to collect a soil sample.
Evan: Copy that. We'll see you in about a minute.
RYDER: Are you picking it up?
GATES: Whatever it was was right in here.
It's not here anymore.
Whatever it was was carrying a box of Lucky Charms.
Could you see the box on the...
I could see the box, and I could see each of
the individual marshmallows.
What are the ingredients in Lucky Charms again?
There was green clovers...
Pink hearts...
yellow diamonds...
purple horseshoes.
and blue moons. Where's the gold?
No gold.
That doesn't make any sense.
The one thing leprechauns are known to have.
Fine. We'll call General Mills.
I do. I want to get them on the phone.
Explain to me what a purple horseshoe is.
We'll get them on the phone.
[ Unexplained noise ]
Oh, wow. Did you hear that?
Yeah.
That tapping noise? - Yeah.
I mean, I wonder if that's what they're hearing.
You know, these trees, these branches come down.
These trees settle.
They get this tapping noise.
Maybe it's just dead branches and stuff falling off.
Oh, that is so creepy.
That may be what they're hearing out here.
As to what they're seeing, I don't know.
Ryder, it looks like it opens up over here.
Okay.
Oh, wow.
Yeah. It's like it drops way off right here.
I'm looking at the tops of trees.
So, you figure, it must be down at least 50, 60 feet.
I can hear water dropping off, too.
I don't know if it's a cave down there, or just a waterfall,
but let's rig up and see if we can get down there.
Yeah.
Okay.
How we doing, Evan? Okay, guys. Let's go.
It drops off sharp here.
Okay. I'm down.
Okay. I'm on my way.
It's very slippery.
Josh for base camp. Come in, base camp.
We may have found a cave.
Ryder and I are gonna go and check it out.
- Copy that. - All right.
Let's pull the harnesses and keep them close in case
we need them again.
Get down inside of it, stay close together.
It's gonna be dark.
Let's see what's down there.
I don't see any signs of anything living down here.
I should've done my yoga this morning.
Guys, I hear water.
[ Water rushing ]
Okay. Let's go.
♪
Ryder?
Evan: Where's Ryder?
Ryder?
Okay.
Oh, no.
No, no, no.
Ryder?
Evan: Where's Ryder?
- Ryder? - Josh?
Josh, my light just went out.
What are you doing back here?
What am I doing back here? What are you doing over there?
I thought you were behind me.
I was, until you went out without me.
Well, why'd you stop?
Well, my light went out.
Let me see it.
This place is creepy.
There you go.
Wet, muddy, no leprechauns.
[ Alert sounding ]
Base camp to Bobby.
Go for Bobby.
Hey, Bobby. The perimeter alarm in zone two just went off.
♪
BOBBY: Hey. [ Cow moos ]
Have you guys seen a little fella, about yea high?
Bobby to base camp.
I think we found what set off the perimeter alarm.
It's just some cows.
They must have wandered over and tripped the alarm.
What is it?
Bones of some sort. Looks like a joint right here.
- Yep. - Looks like a leg about 2 feet long.
Whatever that is, it would have been off
of something pretty small.
I don't know if it's a leprechaun leg,
but some sort of mammal.
But it looks like something dragged the rest of this away.
Let's photograph this thing first.
Let's take both the joints and this bone on the end.
Don't lose those bones. That may be a dead leprechaun.
GATES: It had been a long, cold night in the woods of Western Ireland,
and my team was ready for a warm bed.
We flew 14 hours back to Los Angeles
to sort through our findings.
At the Museum of Natural History,
we headed up to the massive collections
to seek out mammalogist Jim Dimes,
who would, hopefully, classify our skeletal findings.
Before you render a verdict, do you think that it's possible
that you're holding the bones of a leprechaun?
Only if leprechauns have hooves.
Uh-oh.
- I think we're in trouble. - I think we're in trouble.
From what I know about leprechauns,
they're small, human-like forms.
This is from a sheep. - A sheep?
Which would make sense in Ireland.
Yeah. You can see, it matches up really nicely.
I'm willing to buy that analysis.
Okay. Good.
Now, here, this is what I really want you to take a look at.
Oh.
These are some skeletal remains from an Irish pub —
because, if you're looking for authentic,
scientific specimens,
a bar is usually where you want to head.
Naturally.
I'm just dying to hear what you make of this.
Well, it's about the right size of a leprechaun.
That's true. [ Laughs ]
But what I'm seeing is
an assemblage of miscellaneous bones.
In fact, they look a lot like chicken wings.
- Uh-huh. - Mm-hmm.
Were they serving Buffalo wings at this pub?
You know, I think they were, actually.
It's all starting to come together, now.
It's all coming into focus.
This comes as something of a grave shock to me.
I thought — I was convinced
that what we were looking at here
was actually a body of a leprechaun.
With the bones identified and our soil sample
yielding up no traces of DNA,
it came as no great surprise
that we didn't turn up proof positive
of the storied leprechaun.
Have you guys seen a little fella?
What was surprising was the earnest belief held by many
Irish toward an ancient and hidden world.
To dismiss the leprechaun
is to dismiss a rich and vibrant Celtic mythology.
He is both an ancient standard bearer and a pop-culture icon.
And according to folklore, a resident of a realm
that we mere mortals may never discover.
I'm willing to continue the search, though.
And you never know.
With enough additional research, I might just meet him after all.