New baby in Irish
Comhghairdeas
In Irish, the phrase to know first is "Comhghairdeas!" (Congratulations!). The others are below, each with a note on when to use it.
When a baby arrives, start with comhghairdeas, "congratulations". Below are wishes for the parents, a general blessing, and the words for a baby boy, a baby girl and the christening.
Greetings
Comhghairdeas!
Congratulations!
Said to the new parents.
Comhghairdeas faoi shaolú bhur mic!
Congratulations on the birth of your son! (to both parents)
Said to the couple: bhur is "your" for more than one person.
Bail ó Dhia ort!
God bless you! (to one person)
A general blessing, said to adults and children alike. To more than one person: Bail ó Dhia oraibh.
Useful words
leanbh mic
baby boy
Also buachaill beag.
leanbh iníne
baby girl
Also cailín beag.
babaí
baby
The everyday word; leanbh is also common.
baisteadh
christening, baptism
The church ceremony for the baby.
About the words
The New English–Irish Dictionary gives "congratulations on the birth of your son" as comhghairdeas faoi shaolú bhur mic, said to both parents, which is why it uses bhur, the plural "your". Irish has several words for a baby: babaí, leanbh and páiste. Leanbh mic is a baby boy and leanbh iníne a baby girl. A christening is baisteadh.
Common questions
How do you say congratulations on your new baby in Irish?
Say Comhghairdeas! to the parents. To both of them, about a son: Comhghairdeas faoi shaolú bhur mic!
Further reading
Go beyond the phrases
blas. teaches Irish with spaced repetition, vocabulary, mutations, grammar, reading, and conversation. Not just for New baby, 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.
- New English–Irish Dictionary (focloir.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
- New English–Irish Dictionary (focloir.ie, Foras na Gaeilge)
Credit: Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0.