Some common Irish greetings include “100,000 welcomes,” and “God and Mary with you.” The literal Gaelic sayings for these greetings are “Céad Mile Fáilte” and “Dia is Muire Dhuit” respectively.Continue Reading
There are some sayings that people believe are common Irish greetings but are really Hollywood-made. A common one is “top of the morning to you.” This doesn't have an Irish origin and isn't part of Irish culture. The follow-up to that phrase, “and the rest of the day to yourself,” is also Hollywood-made.
Just like with English greetings, variations of most Irish greetings have come about over time. For example, a common variation of “Dia is Muire Dhuit” is “Dia dhuit,” which simply means “God be with you.” Another variation is “Go mbeannaí Dia duit,” which translates into “May God bless you.” The phrases that people receive might depend on where they are in Ireland.
In some cases, the sayings differ because of dialect discrepancies. A common example of this in America is how phrases change between the Northern and Southern states. In Ireland, the phrases “Cad é mar a tá tú,” “Cén chaoi 'bhfuil tú” and “Conas atá tú” all mean “How are you doing?” The proper follow-up to this phrase is “Tá mé go maith,” which is Gaelic for “I'm doing fine.”Learn more about Cultures & Traditions