Irish toasts are short messages of kinship, good luck, honor and good cheer to share with friends and family at a pub or family home. If you’re ever about to drink a Guinness or sip a Jameson with a friend, you should be ready with an Irish toast.
Take a look at the Irish toasts we’ve gathered, and let us know of any we’ve missed. We’ve kicked things off with our top 10 favorites. Cheers!
Top Ten Irish Toasts To Celebrate
1.) I have known many, liked not a few, loved only one, I drink to you.
2.) May you live as long as you want, and never want as long as you live.
3.) That the roof above us never fall in, and may we friends gathered below never fall out.
4.) May those who love you love you; and those who don’t love you, may God turn their hearts. And if He doesn’t turn their hearts, may he turn their ankles so you’ll know them by their limping.
5.) May your neighbors respect you, trouble neglect you, the angels protect you, and heaven accept you.
6.) May your pockets be heavy and your heart be light, may good luck pursue you each morning and night.
7.) And may the strength of three be in your journey. Sláinte’.
8.) That there be a generation of children on the children of your children.
9.) May the Lord keep you in His hand and never close His fist too tight.
10.) Here’s that we may always have a clean shirt, a clean conscience, and a guinea in our pocket.
Good Irish Toasts
11.) May I see you grey and combing your children’s hair.
12.) Here’s to temperance supper, with water in glasses tall, and coffee and tea to end with — and me not there at all!
13.) May you die in bed at ninety-five years, shot by a jealous husband.
14.) Here’s that a mouse never leave your meal bag with a tear in its eye.
15.) May your home always be too small to hold all your friends.
16.) To warm words on a cold day.
17.) May all the giant hearts be tall as day, may all your winter nights be warm as May.
18.) May the good Saint Patrick protect ye, and the devil neglect ye.
19.) For the devil say a prayer for you.
20.) May the rocks in your field turn to gold.
21.) Here’s to a long life and a merry one. A quick death and an easy one. A pretty girl and an honest one. A cold beer and another one!
22.) When we fall asleep, we commit no sin. When we commit no sin, we go to heaven. So, let’s all get drunk, and go to heaven!
Irish Toasts Memes and Images
23.) May your bank account always be bigger than your troubles.
Combining the concept of money with a reduction in worries why you’re drinking? No wonder everyone loves this Irish toast.
24.) May you have nicer legs than yours under the table before the new spuds are up.
Also known as the Irish bachelor toast, but with any luck, it could lead quickly to an Irish Wedding toast.
25.) As you slide down the banisters of life may the splinters never point the wrong way.
In typical Irish fashion, the point of the story can frequently be combined with a laugh or two.
Irish Drinking Toasts
Try out an Irish drinking toast your next time out with the gang.
Here’s to you.
When God measures you, may he put the tape around your big and generous heart and not around you small and foolish head.
Health and long life to you.
The wife of your choice to you.
A child every year to you.
Land without rent to you.
And may you be half an hour in heaven
before the devil knows you’re dead.
Slainte!
May you have:
A world of wished at your command
God and his angels close at hand
Friends and family their love impart,
And Irish blessing in your heart.
May your bank account always be like the capital of Ireland —
Always Dublin!
Health to everyone from the tip of the roof to the side of the fire,
From wall to wall
And if there’s anyone in the wall, speak up!
When the roaring flames of your love
have burned down to embers,
may you find that you’ve married your best friend.
Short Irish Toasts
May the ships at sea never be bottoms up.
May you never be without a drop at Christmas.
Within this goblet, rich and deep, I cradle all my woes to sleep.
Here’s to the eyes in your head and none in your spuds!
May the ships at sea never be bottoms up.
May the devil cut the toes off our foes, that we may know them by their limping.
That misfortune follow you the rest of your life, but never catch up.
May you always have a cool head and a warm heart.
May the tap be open when it rusts!
Funny and Humorous
May the Good Lord take a liking to you — but, not too soon.
May you be half an hour in heaven before the Devil knows your dead.
A bird never flew on one wing. (to encourage that second drink)
May the enemies of Ireland never meet a friend.
To all the days here and after,
May they be filled with fond memories, happiness, and laughter.
Here’s to women of the Irish shore;
I love but one, I love not more.
But since she’s not here to drink her part,
I’ll drink her share with all my heart.
May you live to be a hundred years, with one extra year to repent.
May your troubles be as few and as far apart as my Grandmother’s teeth.
Traditional Gaelic Toasts
May your doctor never earn a dollar out of you and may your heart never give out. May the ten toes of your feet steer you clear of all misfortune, and before you’re much older, may you hear much better toasts than this.
That you have the hindsight to know where you’ve been, the foresight to know where you’re going and the insight to know when you’re going too far.
For you be poor in misfortune, rich in blessings, slow to make enemies, quick to make friends. But rich or poor, quick or slow, may you know nothing but happiness from this day forward.
For the frost never afflict your spuds. The outside leaves of your cabbage always be free from worms. That the crow never pick your haystack, and may your donkey always be in foal.
That the sound of happy music, And the lilt of Irish laughter, fill your heart with gladness, that stays forever after.
Here’s to a sweetheart, a bottle, and a friend. The first beautiful, the second full, the last ever faithful.
Blarney
That your glass be ever full.
And, that the roof over your head be always strong.
And may you be in heaven half an hour before the devil knows you’re dead.
Here’s to me, and here’s to you,
And here’s to love and laughter-
I’ll be true as long as you,
And not one moment after.
Here’s to you and yours, and to mine and ours.
And if mine and ours ever come across to you and yours,
I hope you and yours will do as much for mine and ours,
As mine and ours have done for you and yours!
Here’s to eyes in your heads and none in your spuds.
May the luck of the Irish
Lead to happiest heights
And the highway you travel
Be lined with green lights.
Favorites
May your neighbors respect you, trouble neglect you, the angels protect you, and heaven accept you.
May you taste the sweetest pleasures that fortune ere bestowed,
and may all your friends remember all the favors you are owed.
May your laugh, your love and your wine be plenty,
thus your happiness will be nothing less.
May your pockets be heavy and your heart be light, may good luck pursue you each morning and night.
May the luck of the Irish
Lead to happiest heights
And the highway you travel
Be lined with green lights.
May you always have a clean shirt, a clear conscience, and enough coins in your pocket to buy a pint.
Like the warmth of the sun and the light of the day, may the luck of the Irish shine bright on your way.
May God grant us a sense of humor, Lord,
The saving grace to see a joke,
To win some happiness from life,
And pass it on to other folk.
Top of the morning
Here’s to a fellow who smiles
When life runs along like a song.
And here’s to the lad who can smile
When everything goes dead wrong.
May the strength of three be in your journey.
No wasps near your honey, but bees in your hive.
Here’s to a fellow who smiles
When life runs along like a song.
And here’s to the lad who can smile
When everything goes dead wrong.
In the New Year, may your right hand always be stretched out in friendship and never in want.
If you ever have an opportunity to visit Ireland, you’ll love it.
Irish Blessings
That your doctor never earn a dollar out of you and may your heart never give out. That the ten toes of your feet steer you clear of all misfortune, and before you’re much older, may you hear much better toasts than this.
May the grass grow long on the road to hell for want of use.
May you have many blessings
And wherever your path may wind,
May every day that’s coming,
Be the bright and happy kind.
Beautiful young people are acts of nature, but beautiful old people are works of art.
That the sound of happy music, And the lilt of Irish laughter, fill your heart with gladness, that stays forever after.
Wherever you go and whatever you do, may the luck of the Irish be there with you.
Bless your little Irish heart, and every other Irish part.
That you have the hindsight to know where you’ve been, the foresight to know where you’re going and the insight to know when you’re going too far.
May you live long, die happy, and rate a mansion in heaven.
Now you’re married we wish you joy. First a girl and then a boy.
Irish Wedding Toast
Made in Heaven, lived on Earth.
Marry carefully and love will surely follow.
A toast to love and laughter and happily ever after.
Here’s to the groom with bride so fair,
And here’s to the bride with groom so rare!
To warm words on a cold day.
Tis glad I am,
And glad I’ll be,
Knowing you like,
The likes of me.
May their joys be as deep as the ocean,
And their misfortunes as light as the foam.
Irish Birthday Toast
May we all be alive this time in twelve months.
As you were born on a lucky star, may that star never lose its twinkle.
May you be seven times better off a year from now.
Here’s to your health
May God bring you luck
And may your journey be smooth and happy.
May the devil say a prayer for you.
That time never turn your head gray.
May the rocks in your field turn to gold.
May your fire never go out.
No wasps in your honey, but bees in your hive.
May you live be be a hundred years with one extra year to repent.
May the saddest day of your future be no worse than the happiest day of your past.
Gaelic Toasts
Here’s to the women that I’ve loved and all the ones I’ve kissed.
As for regrets, I just have one; that’s all the ones I’ve missed.
Oh, womens’ faults are many, us men have only two:
Every single thing we say, and everything we do.
May the hinges of our friendship never grow rusty.
For each petal on the shamrock
This brings a wish your way —
Good health, good luck, and happiness
For today and every day.
And may you be poor in misfortune, rich in blessings, slow to make enemies, quick to make friends. But rich or poor, quick or slow, may you know nothing but happiness from this day forward.
Here’s to good Irish friends,
Never above you,
Never below you,
Always beside you.
May the frost never afflict your spuds – may the outside leaves of your cabbage always be free from worms. And, may the crow never pick your haystack, and may your donkey always be in foal.
Here’s to cheating, stealing, fighting, and drinking.
If you cheat, may you cheat death.
If you steal, may you steal a woman’s heart.
And if you fight, may you fight for a brother.
And if you drink, may you drink with me.
Here’s to beefsteak when you’re hungry,
Whiskey when you’re dry,
All the women you’ll ever want,
And heaven when you die.
Let schoolmasters puzzle their brain
With grammar and nonsense and learning;
Good liquor, I stoutly maintain
Give genius a better discerning.
The Emerald Isle
Beimedh a gole! (Let us be drinking!)
Here’s to the land of the shamrock so green,
Here’s to each lad and his darlin colleen,
To the ones we love dearest and most.
May God bless old Ireland, that’s this Irishman’s toast!
May the leprechauns be near you,
To spread luck along your way.
And may all the Irish angels,
Smile upon you St. Patrick’s Day.
Saint Patrick was a gentleman,
Who through strategy and stealth,
Drove all the snakes from Ireland,
Here’s a toasting to his health.
But not too many toastings
Lest you lose yourself and then
Forget the good Saint Patrick
And see all those snakes again.
Tip: Some of these Irish Toasts make great photo captions around St. Patrick’s Day.
Irish Toast Funny
Morning is the time to pity the sober; it’s the best they’ll feel all day.
Here’s to absent friends and here’s twice to absent enemies.
Dung hills rise and castles fall, we are all equal one and all.
May your troubles be less, And your blessings be more. And nothing but happiness come through your door.
Best while you have it use your breath,
There is no drinking after death.
Merry met, and merry part, I drink to thee with all my heart.
Here’s to a wet night and a dry morning.
A Classic Irish Toast
Long live the Irish!
Long live their cheer!
And, long live our friendship
Year after year!
May good Saint Patrick bless you and keep you in his care,
And may Our Lord be near you to answer every prayer.
— Michael O’Halloran
Compiled by Michael O’Halloran, a second generation Irish-American and the editor of Greeting Card Poet. The O’Halloran clan hails from Galway, Ireland. The translation of O’Halloran from Gaelic is “Pirate.”
Etcetera
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