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

I love all the Irish words that you share in some of your articles but it would be extremely helpful if you'd spell them phonetically so a non- Irish speaker would know the correct pronunciation. I've heard this from many of the people who enjoy these articles as well. This would please many of your readers, I'm certain. The other point I'd like to bring up is that growing up on the Dingle in Kerry, we would never say that the Irish speak Gaelic because the Gaelic languages also include Welsh Gaelic, Manx Gaelic and Scottish Gaelic. It is far more correct to say that in Ireland we speak Irish or Irish Gaelic, if you must.

The only ones used are: Dia duit=dia gwitch (hello) Dia is muire duit=Dia is mwere gwitch(reply to dia duit) Slan=Slawn (bye) Slainte=Slawn-che:like 'meh'(cheers) failte= fall-ceh: like 'meh'(welcome) Pog mo thoin=pogue mo hoe-in (kiss my @rse) I hope this is of some use for pronunciation!

Giving us the Irish phrase means nothing without the pronunciation.

EdmundBurke-Its not on the list because its not a common phrase. CailinRua, you and me both! Dia duit is followed by Dia is muire duit!

Ah Walter, the clue is in the title. Top ten 'old' Irish phrases. Also why use the term Gaelic? Gaelic isnt a language. Never heard 'Dia is Mhuire Duit agus Padraig' even when I lived in the Gaeltacht and 'Erin go Bragh' is a phrase Americans use. Irish dont use it. My family is from Monaghan, Louth, Cork, Waterford and Tipperary. IM from Dublin so Im lucky enough to have experienced this entire island.

Where's Dexyciara saying these are all "crap" and "rubbish"? We'll probably hear that she or her Dublin family never heard of one of them!

Hi! For those of us here in the U.S. who think learning gaelic looks more difficult than say, chinese,or hieroglyphics or even hobbitspeake for that matter- how about giving the phonetics of each gaelic word that you print! That would be awesome! Here in alabama, slainte might be heard as slay-in-tee! ha! Sad but true.

I like the last one ;)

Fun, but I wish you had included a pronunciation guide for the Gaelic.

I like. nuff said

My Kerry grandfather, who claimed to know and speak little Gaelic and had no interest in doing so despite his strong Irish nationalism, frequently used as an expression the following phrase: "Thanum an Dhoul" which he pronounced "Hahmen 'n Deel". For most of my life, the only other recorded use of this phrase was at the end of the Clancy Brothers' version of "Finnegan's Wake", in which Tim Finnegan cries out "Thanum an Dhoul, do ye think I'm dead?" Musicians who sang the song could never tell me what it meant, and I never bothered to ask my grandfather. It was only upon the coming of the Internet that I was able to research and discover the meaning of this phrase (as well as the common spelling above). It means "the soul of the devil" and can also be seen as "d'anam don diabhal" in some Gaelic spellings. It is used as an exclamation phrase to express shock or amazement, usually in a negative sense. I would recommend that the phrase go on a list of common Gaelic phrases.

I would prefer Erin to go braless!

Shure why not just give the Japanese a Navajo Indian altogether.

Tá giota beag Gaeilge agam fosta agus is breá liom a féiceáil go bhfuil na abairti as Gaeigle ar Irish Central. Beadh an deas da beadh Irish Central aige coinne Gaeilge gach lá. Beadh sé focal an lae nó frás an lae. I have a wee bit of Irish also and I love seeing Irish words and phrases here on Irish Cenral. It would be nice for Irish Central to have an "Irish Language" corner each day. It could be a phrase or a word. (Many people of Irish and/or Scottish descent would enjoy knowing words their ancestors spoke for thousands of years)

Hmmm. In my Irish class, I learned that Dia duit (God to you) is how you greet someone, and the reply is Dia is Muire duit (God and Mary with you). Should I get a refund?! And the pronunciations are easy: Pog mo thoin = Pogue Mahone (like the great band) Slainte = Slancha Dia duit = DEE-a GHWIT Dias Muire duit = DEE-a iSS MWIRR-a Gwit Caed Mile Failte = kayd meeluh foll-tjuh Slán (abhaile) = Slawn awallia Abhaile is the word for home, so if someone is leaving to go home, you would say that to them. Erin Go Bragh (actually Éirinn go Brách) is pretty easy, but if you don't know it, Erin Go Bra.