A far darrig or fear dearg is a faerie of Irish mythology

Irish mythology

The mythology of pre-Christian Ireland did not entirely survive the conversion to Christianity, but much of it was preserved, shorn of its religious meanings, in medieval Irish literature, which represents the most extensive and best preserved of all the branch and the Historical Cycle. There are...

. The name far darrig is an Anglophone pronunciation of the Irish

Irish language

Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...

 words fear dearg, meaning Red Man, as the far darrig is said to wear a red coat and cap. According to Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry the far darrig is classified as a solitary fairy along with the leprechaun

Leprechaun

A leprechaun is a type of fairy in Irish folklore, usually taking the form of an old man, clad in a red or green coat, who enjoys partaking in mischief. Like other fairy creatures, leprechauns have been linked to the Tuatha Dé Danann of Irish mythology...

 and the clurichaun

Clurichaun

The clurichaun , or clobhair in O'Kearney, is an Irish fairy which resembles the leprechaun. Some folklorists describe the clurichaun as a night "form" of the leprechaun, who goes out to drink after finishing his daily chores. Others regard them as regional variations on the same...

, all of whom are "most sluttish, slouching, jeering, mischievous phantoms." The far darrig in particular is described as one who "busies himself with practical joking

Practical joke

A practical joke is a mischievous trick played on someone, typically causing the victim to experience embarrassment, indignity, or discomfort. Practical jokes differ from confidence tricks in that the victim finds out, or is let in on the joke, rather than being fooled into handing over money or...

, especially with gruesome joking".

In books

In Laurell K. Hamilton

Laurell K. Hamilton

Laurell Kaye Hamilton is an American fantasy and romance writer. She is the author of two series of stories. Hamilton is known for her New York Times-bestselling Anita Blake series, featuring a professional zombie raiser/supernatural consultant for the police as the protagonist in a world where...

's Merry Gentry

Merry Gentry

Merry Gentry is the title character of fantasy series by US writer Laurell K. Hamilton, best-known for her previous series Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter...

 series, the fear dearg makes an appearance in the book Divine Misdemeanors

Divine Misdemeanors

Divine Misdemeanors is the eighth novel in the Merry Gentry series written by Laurell K. Hamilton.-Plot Introduction:...

, where he asks Merry to give him a proper name,

In the Callahan's Crosstime Saloon

Callahan's Crosstime Saloon

In the fictional universe of Spider Robinson, Callahan's Place is a bar with strongly community-minded and empathic clientele. It appears in the Callahan's Crosstime Saloon stories In the fictional universe of Spider Robinson, Callahan's Place is a bar with strongly community-minded and empathic...

 book series, "The Callahan Touch" introduces a character known as the Ernie "The Lucky Duck" Shea who is the crossbreed son of a far darrig and a pooka

Pooka

Pooka may refer to*Pooka , British pop duo*Púca, faery creature of Celtic folklore*A race of rabbit-like beings in the video game Odin Sphere*An enemy in the Dig Dug series of games*Pooka, Anya's dog in Anastasia...

. His strange heritage leaves him with an unusual effect on the probability of events around him -- flip three coins simultaneously, for example, and they're likely to land stacked up on edge.