It's a little known fact that St Patrick, patron saint of Ireland, was ably assisted by meerkats when he rid Ireland of snakes.

To this day, meerkats continue to dress in green and wear shamrocks in honour of the Saint's day, 17th March.

READY TO SHIP also available singly, just ask.

Want to know more about St Patrick's day? http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/CUSTOMS/questions/nationaldays/ireland.html

My Irish gent wears a bright lime green shirt and removable dark green jacket emblazoned with a 3leaf clover or shamrock.

He also wears a dashing green top hat at a jaunty angle.

Like all my meerkats he is knitted by me, to my own pattern, and stands around 7 inches (18cm) tall. His lady friend wears a matching skirt, and is slightly shorter. Their legs and tails are wired to enable them to stand.

I researched carefully how many leaves the shamrock needed (ok, I asked my twitter friends) and although people often wear 4 leaf clovers, 3 is authentic. St Patrick is believed to have used a 3 leaf lover to illustrate the concept of the Trinity.

Not suitable for small children due to wiring and small parts.