Boys in clover with rare five-leaf find

AN eight-year-old boy searching for a lucky four-leaf clover in a field was amazed to find two - with five leaves.

Shane Fitzharris made a one in 100,000 discovery when he and a friend stumbled upon two five-leaf clovers and four four-leaf clovers near their home last week. Shane and Cillian McGrath were out with Shane’s father Nigel when they made the rare discovery of five-leaf clover which is supposed to bring luck and wealth. Clovers with more than the usual three leaves are genetic mutations of the regular plant. Each leaf on the clover is said to represent something - the first is for faith, the second for hope, the third for love, the fourth for luck and the fifth for wealth. Nigel said: ‘We were out in one of Shane’s grandfather’s fields trying to fit in a day out before the children go back to school. We went for a hike through the fields and I was explaining to them how lucky you can be to find a four-leaf clover and told them to keep their eyes out. The next thing Shane said he had found a five-leaf clover.’

Nigel (40), who is the physiotherapist for the Wexford Youths team, thought his son was joking but the eagle eyed boy, accompanied by his friend, soon found another five-leaf clover and four four-leaf clovers, all within 20 minutes. Nigel said the chances of finding a five-leaf clover are over 20,000 to one and the chances of finding a four-leaf clover is over 10,000 to one. ‘To find all these four and five-leaf clovers in one, I’m not sure what the odds are on that.’

Both Shane and Cillian are beaver scouts in Ballykelly and enjoy exploring nature so they were thrilled with their discovery. Nigel and Shane have been pressing the clover to preserve them as a memento of the day. ‘Shane is giving a four-leaf clover to his brothers and sisters and he will keep the five-leaf clovers and make them into a picture,’ Nigel said.