Welcome in Irish
Fáilte
In Irish, the phrase to know first is "Fáilte!" (Welcome!). The others are below, each with a note on when to use it.
Fáilte is welcome, and you will see it on signs all over Ireland. Below are the greetings for one person and for a group, welcome home and welcome back, and the famous hundred thousand welcomes.
Greetings
Fáilte!
Welcome!
The single word, on its own.
Fáilte romhat!
Welcome! (to one person)
Romhat is "before you", singular.
Fáilte romhaibh abhaile!
Welcome home! (to more than one person)
Romhaibh is the plural.
Fáilte ar ais!
Welcome back!
Ar ais means back.
Céad míle fáilte!
A hundred thousand welcomes!
The famous form, for a warm welcome.
Dé do bheatha!
Welcome! (to one person)
An older greeting; also is é do bheatha.
Useful words
Fáilte go Conamara
Welcome to Connemara
The pattern for any place: fáilte go, "welcome to".
About the words
Fáilte is a feminine noun. Its older literary meaning is joy or happiness, and its usual meaning today is welcome. Céad míle fáilte means "a hundred thousand welcomes". Dé do bheatha is an older greeting addressed to one person; Wiktionary traces it to Old Irish words meaning "you shall have your life".
Common questions
How do you say welcome in Irish?
Fáilte! To one person, Fáilte romhat; to a group, Fáilte romhaibh.
What does Céad míle fáilte mean?
"A hundred thousand welcomes".
Welcome 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 Welcome, 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)
- Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org
- Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org
- New English–Irish Dictionary (focloir.ie, Foras na Gaeilge)
- Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org
Credit: Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0.