40th Milwaukee Irish Fest Collectible Pin

Milwaukee Irish Fest 40th Anniversary Festival Pin
Limited Edition. Only 100 Available. 

• 1.5" pin
• Hard Enamel pin / nickel metal back
• Pin inspired by our 40th festival creative campaign - which features our new Irish Fest buddy Danny the Dobhar-chu (pronounced do-war-coo); designed by EPIC Creative

The Legend of Danny

To understand what a Dobhar-chú is (pronounced do-war coo, the B is silent), you first need to understand what a cryptid is. Quite simply, they’re an animal whose existence is unsubstantiated. Nessie in Scotland or the Hodag here in Wisconsin, or Bigfoot – they’re all cryptids. You’ll find them in any culture with a rich history rooted in storytelling. And there are no greater storytellers than the Irish. 

The Dobhar-chú - also known as a King Otter - first showed up in Ireland (Conwall cemetery in Glenade, County Leitrim to be precise) in the 17th Century. Carved into a headstone, historians have uncovered a relief featuring an animal with the body and legs of a dog, but the head and tail of an otter. Dobhar-chú are thought to be about 10-15 feet in length, with dark fur and black tipped ears.

 Our Dobhar-chú (we’ve named him Danny) is believed to have swum the length of the North Atlantic Ocean, through the Gulf of St. Lawrence and into the river, across Lake Ontario, Erie, and Huron and down through Lake Michigan to arrive in our harbor. He’s been spotted paddling around Lakeshore State Park, occasionally sunning himself on the rocks, and taking in the sights and sounds of our festival at dawn and dusk. If you’re lucky, you might catch a glimpse of him. And fortunately, in addition to being great storytellers, we Irish are thought to be lucky as well.