Good luck in Irish
Ádh mór
In Irish, the phrase to know first is "Ádh mór!" (Good luck!). The others are below, each with a note on when to use it.
The quickest Irish for good luck is Ádh mór!, "great luck". Below are the other wishes from the dictionary, for exams, matches, journeys and new jobs.
Greetings
Ádh mór!
Good luck!
The short, everyday wish. Literally "great luck".
Ádh mór ort!
Good luck to you!
The same, addressed to one person. Said before exams.
Go n-éirí leat!
Good luck! (to one person)
Literally "may you succeed".
Go n-éirí an t-ádh leat!
Good luck! (to one person)
Literally "may luck rise with you".
Go n-éirí an t-ádh leat sa phost úr!
Good luck with the new job!
Post úr is a new job.
Beir bua!
Best of luck!
Literally "take victory". Used before matches and contests.
Go n-éirí an bóthar leat.
Bon voyage! (to one person)
A wish for a good journey. Éirí le means "go well for, succeed", as in gur éirigh leat, "that you succeeded".
Go gcuire Dia an t-ádh ort.
May God prosper you.
An older blessing.
About the words
Ádh is the Irish word for luck: tá an t-ádh ort means "you are lucky". The New English–Irish Dictionary gives "good luck!" as ádh mór!, go n-éirí an t-ádh leat! or go n-éirí leat!, and "best wishes" as beir bua. Ó Dónaill records go gcuire Dia an t-ádh ort, "may God prosper you", and ádh éisc ort!, "good luck with the fishing!"
Common questions
How do you say good luck in Irish?
Ádh mór! or Go n-éirí leat! Both are standard.
What does Go n-éirí an bóthar leat mean?
It is a wish for a good journey, "bon voyage", said to one person. Éirí le means "go well for", so it is not "may the road rise with you".
Good luck in the other Celtic languages
Further reading
Go beyond the phrases
blas. teaches Irish with spaced repetition, vocabulary, mutations, grammar, reading, and conversation. Not just for Good luck, but for life. Free to start.
Start learning IrishIrish phrases for the year ahead
Irish phrases for everyday occasions
Sources
Every phrase and fact on this page was checked against the sources below. Last checked 2026-10-20.
- Ó Dónaill, Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla (teanglann.ie, Foras na Gaeilge)
- New English–Irish Dictionary (focloir.ie, Foras na Gaeilge)
- New English–Irish Dictionary (focloir.ie, Foras na Gaeilge)
- Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org
- blas. course data
- Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org
- Ó Dónaill, Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla (teanglann.ie, Foras na Gaeilge)
Credit: Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0.