Irish is one of the oldest written and historical languages in the world.
It was seen for the first time in Ogham form in the 5th century. Today it can be found in up to 4,500 books, on television, radio, newspapers, magazines, and on the internet.
Irish is a Celtic language that is closely related to Scottish and Manx Gaelic. It is also related to Welsh, Cornish, and Breton. The first speakers of Irish probably arrived on these shores from mainland Europe over 2,500 years ago.
Without further ado, we take a look at some of the most beautiful, funny, and poetic Irish language phrases translated into English.
"Ar scáth a chéile a mhaireann na daoine."
People live in each other’s shadow.
"Filleann an feall ar an bhfeallaire."
The bad deed will haunt the one who committed it.
"An sean madra don bother cruaidh."
The old dog for the hard road.
"Cruann an cat solas na greine."
The cat milks the sun’s heat.
"Se an gra a mhaireann sa deiridh."
Those you loved is what matters in the end.
"Níos aosta an fideal, nios bine an fonn."
Older the fiddle, the sweeter the tune.
"Dúirt mé leat go raibh mé breoite."
I told you I was sick. (written on Spike Milligan's gravestone).
"Bhí a dearghair nios measa."
His brother was worse. (Uttered by a West Cork farmer when asked by the parish priest to say something nice about a widely unpopular neighbor who had passed. )
"Is maith an t-anlann an t-ocras."
Hunger is the best sauce.
"Fograim an Gorta to tir na Sassenach anocht agus Iar anocht."
Every New Year’s Eve in parts of Ireland, the man of the house would take bread and smash it off the door and say those words which translated means, 'I banish the famine to the land of the English forever and a day.'
"Lig an sean bhlan amach an doras agus failte don bhliain nua."
The man of the house would open the back door to let the old year out and the front door to let the new one in. Out with the old year and in with the new one.
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