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Home Page > Roots > Top ten Irish phrases and their meanings - from "Eirin go bragh" to "Cead Mile Failte"

Top ten Irish phrases and their meanings - from "Eirin go bragh" to "Cead Mile Failte"

What famous Irish sayings really mean

NIALL O'DOWD,

IrishCentral Founder

Published Tuesday, April 16, 2013, 8:23 AM

Updated Tuesday, April 16, 2013, 8:23 AM

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See more: Irish Roots

Before you even ask "Top of the morning to ye" is a Hollywood invention

Photo by Google Images

What famous Irish sayings really mean.

May the road rise to meet you -

From the Gaelic, "Go N-eiri an bothar leat", which means may success be with you.

Top of the morning -

Hollywood invention, never used in Ireland.

And the rest of the day to yourself -

Also Hollywood.

Slainte -

Meaing good health. Slainte is the Gaelic word for health.

Slan -

Meaning farewell. Slan is the Gaelic word for safe so it means keep safe.

Erin go Bragh -

Meaning "Ireland forever" in Gaelic.

A hundred thousand welcomes -

From the Gaelic “Cead Mile Failte” which means literally that.

Dia is Muire Dhuit -

Meaning hello in Gaelic. The phrase literally means "God and Mary with you."

Dia is Mhuire Duit agus Padraig -

How the person responds,"God and Mary and St. Patrick with you."

Pog Mo Thoin -

Yes it means what you think it does, Gaelic for kiss my a**.

*Originally published in March 2010.

See more: Irish Roots , Irish History

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31 Comments

15 - 31 | See all comments

ellenfromcork | Mar 13, 2013, 11:12 AM EDT

Why are you running year old articles???

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Stiofain | Sep 05, 2012, 10:47 PM EDT

ciaradexy: "Gaelic isnt[sic] a language." What is it?

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Ballyphehane1 | May 21, 2012, 12:07 PM EDT

God - reading some of these comments from people in Ireland make me appreciate the fact that I'm now a few time zones away... All the negativity is terrible - soul destroying.... So to bring it back to a more positive level... if anyone is interested in seanfhocals (proverbs) check out talkirish.com. I get an email from them every morning with a proverb of the day. You can sign up for it (try http://talkirish.com/blogs/irishproverbaday/). It includes a link to hear the proverb which will help anyone that isn't really familiar with the language.

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Ballyphehane1 | May 21, 2012, 11:40 AM EDT

Edmund Burke - I think that phrase is alive and well - My Dad uses it all the time. He's in Cork though, so maybe it's regional to Cork... I don't know. I like the phrase though - always reminds me of my Dad and makes me smile.

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NYCsheridan | Apr 28, 2012, 11:26 AM EDT

ciaradexy, thank you for your kind comments. - from an Irish-American cousin

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NYCsheridan | Apr 28, 2012, 11:23 AM EDT

STEVENSTAR, um, no, the fool is some lout sitting in a pub in Donegal reading an Irish-American website and foaming at the mouth in a drunken stupor in ALL CAPS. Stupid, bloody sot!

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BrianO | Apr 27, 2012, 11:07 AM EDT

ciaradexy,interesting and well said.

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STEVENSTAR | Apr 26, 2012, 07:15 PM EDT

IM IRISH AND THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH US OVER HERE.. KISS ME QUICK HATS ARE WORN BY AMERICAN IDIOTS TRYING TO BE IRISH .. SILLY FOOLS

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boydshield | Feb 02, 2012, 03:33 PM EST

Agree with some of the other comments, Niall. Phonetic pronunciations, and maybe a bit more of what can actually be of use in Ireland.

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durtymurphy | Jan 13, 2012, 01:12 PM EST

You forgot "Chuck - Key - Our - La"

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Searlit | Jan 13, 2012, 11:00 AM EST

@IrelandNorth, I found your comment quite interesting, until that last line. It is sad that the Irish language has had such dark associations with the likes of Chritian Brothers and Killing. It's not the language that's at fault.

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IrelandNorth | Jan 13, 2012, 06:15 AM EST

Was taught Irish ar scoil fado fado, but like most others was turned off it by the ferocity with which it was taught by the Christian Brothers/Na Bratharhi Criostaoi. Still have a soft spot for it though. Can understand the need for phonetic spellings, but then look at the dogs dinner the Sasanach invader made of Irish place names with transliteration instead of translation. Still: Le focal nua gach la, tiocfaidh ar teanga fein arais aris go tapaigh i rith na bliana. P.S. The Irish Army give orders as Gailge. So as an ex-member of the "Free State Army", I know how to kill people as Gaeilge.

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AMWilson | Jan 12, 2012, 10:22 PM EST

"Old" in this context apparently means "going way back to the 1950's" for most of these. Ciara, thank you for the clarifications; I thought that maybe I was being impolite by not including "agus Padraig" in my reply greetings. I figured that "top o' the morning" and "Erin go bragh" were the exclusive trademarks of Plastic Leipreachan Nation, as I'd never heard a real Irish person say either.

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Searlit | Jan 12, 2012, 05:21 PM EST

Tá mé i aontaith le faberm1. (Taw May ee eontay leh). Tabhair Gaeilge duinn. (Tower galega do-in). I agree with faberm1. Give us Irish. By the way, are you out there Jacersagain? I just noticed I don't have the u with the fada. You're very kind.

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ciaradexy | Jan 12, 2012, 05:06 PM EST

EireDesire, Dingle is a gaeltacht area. How can you not speak Irish if you grew up there/

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