The mascot of the Fighting Irish at Notre Dame is the leprechaun. According to the University's official athletic site, the leprechaun was named the official mascot in 1965. Prior to this time, the mascot was the Irish terrier. The leprechaun is a small bearded man with his fists up, ready to fight. He is dressed in green with a yellow shirt, and a green bowler sits on his head. This is a fairly detailed design that looks good when tattooed large and on a flat area of skin.
The school motto of Notre Dame's Fighting Irish is the Latin phrase, "Vita, Dulcendo, Spes," which means "Life, Sweetness, and Hope." This phrase is a reference to the Virgin Mary, and it is a common site on the Notre Dame campus. Choose either the English or the Latin version of the phrase for your Fighting Irish tattoo. You can choose an elegant cursive font, or for a more dramatic effect, look for a heavy, calligraphy font.
Notre Dame's Fighting Irish is deeply invested in Irish culture, and one of the more visually distinctive parts of this culture is the use of knotwork. A very simple trefoil knot makes an elegant tattoo, while a large back piece can be created using a more intricate design. Celtic knotwork does very well in simple black tattoos or in shaded grays, but you can also use much brighter colors to reflect the ancient Irish illuminated manuscripts.
The shamrock is a three-leafed clover and it is a symbol that is deeply connected with Irish culture and Catholic religion. In the teachings of St. Patrick, a saint highly associated with Ireland, the three-leafed clover may be used to represent the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. A small shamrock tattoo is a great way to show your affiliation with the Fighting Irish, and this simple tattoo can be drawn small and lose no important detail.