St Patrick's Day Irish Phrases
Lá Fhéile Pádraig
St Patrick's Day is called "Lá Fhéile Pádraig" in Irish and is celebrated on 17 March. The greeting is "Lá Fhéile Pádraig sona duit!" (Happy St Patrick's Day!).
St Patrick's Day is Ireland's national holiday, celebrated worldwide on 17 March. Whether you're in Dublin, New York, or Sydney — here are the Irish phrases you need to join the celebration in the language it was born in.
Essential phrases
Lá Fhéile Pádraig sona duit!
Happy St Patrick's Day!
The standard greeting — use it with everyone
Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig!
St Patrick's Day blessings!
A more traditional, heartfelt greeting
Éirinn go Brách!
Ireland forever!
The famous rallying cry you'll hear at every parade
Is Éireannach mé
I'm Irish
A simple but powerful statement of identity
Tá grá agam d'Éirinn
I love Ireland
Express your connection to Ireland
Sláinte!
Cheers! / Health!
The essential Irish toast — raise your glass
Ní neart go cur le chéile
There is no strength without unity
A traditional proverb, perfect for community gatherings
Go mbeannaí Dia duit
May God bless you
A traditional Irish blessing
Céad míle fáilte
A hundred thousand welcomes
Ireland's most famous phrase of welcome
Mol an óige agus tiocfaidh sí
Praise the young and they will flourish
A popular proverb for the occasion
Is fearr Gaeilge briste, ná Béarla cliste
Broken Irish is better than clever English
The perfect encouragement for anyone trying out their Irish today
Erin go brách
Ireland forever
The anglicised spelling, seen on banners worldwide
Gura míle maith agat
A thousand thanks
Thank someone in Irish
Tá áthas orm bualadh leat
I'm happy to meet you
Meeting new people at celebrations
An bhfuil Gaeilge agat?
Do you speak Irish?
Start a conversation in Irish with someone
The history of Lá Fhéile Pádraig
Lá Fhéile Pádraig (St Patrick's Day) honours Ireland's patron saint, who brought Christianity to Ireland in the 5th century. The day has been observed as a religious feast day for over 1,000 years, and became a public holiday in the Republic of Ireland in 1903. Today it's celebrated by the Irish diaspora worldwide — but the heart of it remains Irish language and culture.
Further reading
Go beyond the phrases
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