What is an Irish Blessing?
The giving or receiving of Irish Blessings, Toasts and Prayers are part of an old Irish tradition, and are basically meant to convey feelings of warmth and happiness, amongst both friends and strangers. Full of kindness, caring, and good wishes, you don’t need to be Irish to give or receive an Irish Blessing or Prayer, they are for anyone and everyone.
Whereas traditional Irish Blessings and Prayers are usually deeply meaningful and quite heartfelt, as well as often beautifully poetic, Irish toasts are typically shorter and more jovial and full of mirth, meant to rouse joy and laughter
Many Irish Blessings and Toasts are usually straightforward and can be applied for any occasion, but there are also Irish Blessings and Prayers meant for specific occasions, such as weddings or before embarking on a journey.
One of the oldest Irish Blessings and perhaps one of the most well known is as follows:
May the road rise to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face.
And rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the hollow of His hand.
Another very old Irish Blessing goes like this:
May love and laughter light your days,
and warm your heart and home.
May good and faithful friends be yours,
wherever you may roam.
May peace and plenty bless your world
with joy that long endures.
May all life’s passing seasons
bring the best to you and yours!
Irish Blessings and Prayers are also quite popular at weddings, as they easily convey good fortune and well-meaning for the happy bride and groom. Here is a common Irish Blessing for Marriage:
May God be with you and bless you.
May you see your children’s children.
May you be poor in misfortunes
and rich in blessings.
May you know nothing but happiness
from this day forward.
In Irish homes, it is often quite common to find a plaque or wall-hanging of some sort near the door which contains an Irish Blessing on the house, or a simple saying in Gaelic, which reads “Cead Mile Falte”. This means 100,000 Welcomes or 100,000 Blessings.
For a couple of examples of the wit and humor in Irish Drinking Toasts, here are some fine ones:
May your glass be ever full.
May the roof over your head be always strong.
And may you be in heaven
half an hour before the devil knows you’re dead.
Here’s to a long life and a merry one.
A quick death and an easy one.
A pretty girl and an honest one.
A cold beer-and another one!
There are of course hundreds of Irish Blessings, Prayers and Toasts. You can find many of them in the book “Irish Blessings”, by Kitty Nash, or “Irish Blessings: A Photographic Celebration” by Ashley Shannon.
Some resources below also link to a large amount of Irish Blessings, Toasts and Prayers, as well as information on Irish Culture and History.
