good irish phrases for essays

josiephone :

For some reason cooling down after studying involves helping other people study. Oh well! Here’s a handy list of phrases you can use in your Irish essays at either Junior or Leaving Cert level. For Topical Essays (the Irish language, littering, racism, the economy etc) ar an gcéad dul síos/i dtús báire - first of all/in the first place chun an fhírinne a rá - to tell the truth feictear domsa - it seems to me d'fheadfadh sé bheith níos measa - it could be worse is oth liom a rá - i hate to say/i’m sorry to say cur i gcás - for example le blianta beaga anuas - in recent years sa lá atá inniu ann - nowadays i láthair na huaire - at present sa todhchaí/amach anseo - in the future measaim - I think dul chun cinn - progress saineolaithe - experts conspóideach - controvertial achmhainní nádurtha - natural resources teocht domhanda - global temperature athrú aeráide - climate change ag dul i ngleic le fadhb an bhruscair - tackling the litter problem ina theannta sin - as well as that go bunúsach - basically níl lá lochta agam orthu - I don’t blame them at all ciníochas an-chaolchúiseach - very subtle racism blaiseadh dá gcultúr - a taste of their culture cead dom, cead duit - live and let live For Story Essasys - (Lá amháin chuaigh mé féin agus mo chara ar siúlóid. Go tobann, thánaig ollphéist as siopa milseán le trí pacáiste lán le cupán im pís thalún. Tá beirt chairde agam anois. 7rl) ar mhuin na muice - on the pig’s back ní raibh duine ná deoraí le feiceál - there was nobody to be seen gan aithne gan urlabhra - unconcsious go tobann/gan choinne - suddenly/without warning ceacht dóite foghlamtha - a lesson learned cúis áthais - reason to be happy taom scaoill - a panic attack níl fonn ná fiach orm x a dhéanamh - I really don’t want to do x sceimhlithe - terrified ag tiomáint go róghasta - driving too fast chomh tiubh géar is a thoicfadh leo - as fast as they could deis chaillte - lost opportunity chuamar amú - we got lost scréach ollmhór - a great scream i mbaol báis - in danger of dying díoscán rothaí agus coscán - the screech of wheels and breaks meangadh mór millteach - a great big smile Don’t forget to adjust tense and person accordingly when you’re using these here fancy phrases!

Bringing this back for exam chickens! 

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Phrases for Essays

A bheag nó a mhór To a greater or lesser extent

Ag dul i bhfeabhas Getting better

Ag dul in olcas Getting worse

Ag dul ó smacht Going out of control

Ar an gcéad dul síos / i dtús báire First of all

Ar fud na cruinne Throughout the world

Bheadh gaois Sholaimh de dhíth You’d need the wisdom of Solomon

Caithfidh mé a admháil I have to admit

Ceacht dóite foghlamtha A lesson learnt

Cead dom, cead duit Live and let live

Chun an fhírinne a rá To tell the truth

Conspóideach Controversial

Cuireann sé alltacht orm It horrifies me

Cur i gcás For example

D'fheadfadh sé bheith níos measa It could be worse

Dar liomsa In my opinion

Dul chun cinn Progress

Feictear domsa go bhfuil It seems to me that

Go bhfios dom As far as I know

Go bunúsach Basically

I bhfad níos forleithne ná riamh Much more widespread than ever

I láthair na huaire At present

I ndeireadh na dála At the end of the day

Idir an dá linn In the meantime

Ina theannta sin As well as that

Is ait liom It seems strange to me

Is é mo thuairim láidir It is my strong belief that

Is éagóireach an ní é It is unjust

Is fearr déanach ná choíche Better late than never

Is mithid do X rud a dhéanamh X must do something

Is oth liom a rá I hate to say / I’m sorry to say

Is iomaí gearán a dhéantar Many complaints are made about

Le blianta beaga anuas In recent years

Maidir le In relation to; as well as

Measaim I think

Ní hamháin sin, ach Not only that, but

Níl aon amhras ach go There is no doubt that

Níl gár a shéanadh There’s no point in denying it

Níl insint béil ar Words can’t describe

Níl sé ceart, cóir ná cothrom It’s not right, just nor fair

Ó mo thaithí féin Based on my own experience

Ó thús ama From the beginning of time

Sa lá atá inniu ann Nowadays

Sa todhchaí / amach anseo In the future

Tá ábhar machnaimh ann It’s something to think about

Tá saol an mhada bháin ag… …have a great life

Tráth dá raibh Once

Specific Topics

Achmhainní nádurtha Natural resources

Ag dul i ngleic le fadhb an bhruscair Tackling the litter problem

Ag crá agus ag creimeadh na tíre Tormenting the country

Blaiseadh dá gcultúr A taste of their culture

Caitear go dona le daoine People are treated badly

Ciníochas an-chaolchúiseach Very subtle racism

Cruatan an tsaoil the hardship of life

Dearcadh caolaigeanta Narrow-minded attitude

Deis chaillte Lost opportunity

Dul i ngleic leis an fhadhb To tackle the problem

Géarchéim Crisis, emergency

Na boic mhóra The ‘big wigs; political heavyweights

Níos minice ná a mhalairt More often than not

Réiteach na faidhbe Solution to the problem

Saineolaithe Experts

Sciúirse na ndrugaí The scourge of drugs

Tá údar imní ann There’s cause for worry

Táthar ag tuar It is being predicted

Teocht domhanda Global temperature

Taom scaoill A panic attack

Tír ilchultúrtha Multicultural country

Tréimhse stairiúil Historical period

Narratives and Fiction

Ag tiomáint go róghasta Driving too fast

Ar mhuin na muice On the pig’s back

Ar nós na gaoithe (fast) Like the wind

Chomh riméadach leis na gcuacha As happy as the cuckoos

Chomh sleamhain le bolg eascainne As slippery as an eel’s belly

Chomh tiubh géar is a thoicfadh leo As fast as they could

An lámh in uachtar The upper hand

Chuamar amú We got lost

Cúis áthais A reason to be happy

Díoscán rothaí agus coscán The screech of wheels and breaks

Gan aithne gan urlabhra Unconcsious

Go tobann / gan choinne Suddenly / without warning

I mbaol báis In danger of dying

In umar na haimléise In the depths of despair

Meangadh mór millteach A great big smile

Ní raibh duine ná deoraí le feiceál There was nobody to be seen

Níl fonn ná fiach orm X a dhéanamh I really don’t want to do X

Níl lá lochta agam orthu I don’t blame them at all

Níor chreid mé mo shúile I didn’t believe my eyes

Scréach ollmhór A great scream

Seimhlithe Terrified

Tá an saol ina chíor thuathail Life is in turmoil

More on native phrases

https://toingaeilge.com/post/190202950228/phrases-for-essays

• 6 Feb, 2017
• foclóir

Irish: Ask a straight H1 student

We’re answering recurring questions from Snapchat ( six25points ) here. All answers relate to Higher Level Irish.

You may also like: Guide to Leaving Cert Irish (€)  and Irish HL Paper 1 and 2 timing

1. What is the best way to study for the essay question? Would you recommend learning phrases or complete essays?

2. Can I choose the poem I read in the Oral examination?

This part of the exam is often overlooked in preparation for the oral as people see it as ‘easy marks’

3. Can the Irish Oral examination be based around the content of the picture series (sraith pictiúr) you are given? For example, if my picture series is ‘cuairt ar aintín i Nua Eabhrac’ will i be asked about holidays, shopping, etc?

The important thing to remember is you lead the conversation in the Oral

For example, if you say you have a cousin in Australia, the examiner might ask you if you intend to pay them a visit. If you say you’re saving your money for the summer, the examiner might ask you about holidays. Anything you say in passing may be perceived as a hint to the examiner to ask you further questions on that topic.

4. Would you have any tips for the picture series (sraith pictiúr) element of the Irish Oral examination?

Say the picture number before you start on a new picture to keep you focused and to let the examiner know you have moved onto the next picture

• Níl tuile dá mhéad nach dtránn. (Every bad thing comes to an end).
• Imíonn an tuirse ach fanann an tairbhe. (the tiredness goes but the benefits stay)
• Tús maith leath na hoibre (a good start is half the work)
• Is maith an scéalaí an aimsir (time will tell)
• Ní thagann ciall roimh aois (sense doesn’t come before age)
• Is fearr súil le glas ná súil le huaigh (it’s better to be optimistic)
• Ní neart go cur le chéile (there’s strength in unity)

5. What topics should I prepare for the Irish Oral examination?

Never give one word answers.

6. Should I continue speaking in the Irish Oral examination or allow the examiner to ask questions?

Continue to expand on the question asked until the examiner interrupts.

7. What is the best way to prepare for the poetry and prose section of paper two?

8. grammar – when is ‘t’ used, for example ‘rithim an tsaoil’ vs ‘an saol’, 9. grammar- what is the rule for irish nouns beginning with ‘s’ in the tuiseal ginideach( genitive case) for example, ‘sochaí/suirbhé’.

If you are not sure how how to put a certain word into the genitive case in the exam, don’t guess, use a different word that you are more familiar with.

Masculine nouns beginning with ‘s’ don’t change after the word ‘an’, e.g. An sagart, an séipéal. But feminine nouns starting with ‘s’, take a ‘t’… an tseachtain, an tsaotharlann.

10. Would you have any predictions for the poetry or prose question?

11. our teacher provides us with excellent notes and were advised to learn everything off, is this a good method.

Always link back to the question.

12. I’m worried that my notes are too basic and not ‘flowery’ enough. I’ve been getting H1s all year but my work has only been corrected by my teacher. I fear that another examiner may not award me with the same mark. Should I be concerned? Is it possible to guarantee a H1 if you are not a native speaker?

• ‘I’m healthy’ : Tá sláinte an bhradáin agam / Táim chomh folláin le breac
• ‘Getting worse’ : ag dul ó ghiolla na sliogán go giolla na mbairneach
• ‘He’s working ‘ : Tá sé i mbun oibre
• ‘He did his best ‘ : Rinne sé a seacht ndícheall
• ‘They did great work’: Rinne siad obair na gcapall / D’oibrigh said go dian dícheallach
• ‘I hate it’ : Ní lú orm an diabhal ná é
• ‘I don’t have any time to myself ‘: Ní bhíonn faill suí ná seasamh agam
• ‘It cant be denied’: Ní féidir a shéanadh
• ‘There’s no sense to it’: Níl ciall ar bith leis
• ‘Forever and ever/always’: Fad is a bheidh an ghrian sa spéir
• ‘She couldn’t decide’ : Bhí sí idir dhá chomhairle
• ”The real truth’ : An fhírinne lom
• ‘The climax came’: Tháinig an buaicphointe
• ‘It’s clear we don’t have the same view’: Is léir nach é an dearcadh céanna atá againn go léir’
• ‘I don’t have a clue..’: Níl a fhios agam ó thalamh am domhain
• ‘First of all’ : Ar an gcéad dul síos/ I dtosach báire / Ar dtús

13. For question four on paper two, should I prepare ‘An Triail’ or spend my time preparing for the extra poetry?

The Irish language is so rich in metaphor and meaning, wit and wisdom that it’s hard to compare its lyricism to anything else.

There’s nothing quite like it, especially when it comes to our great Irish proverbs (seanfhocail).

Table of Contents

Here are 20 great irish proverbs you can use throughout the year..

If you’re stuck on the pronunciation check out Abair.ie here .

1. An donas amach is an sonas isteach .

This is particularly apt following what was a tough year and basically means out with the badness and in with the goodness.

2. Faigheann cos ar siúl rud nach bhfaigheann cos ina cónaí .

This means that ‘a walking foot comes upon something that a resting foot wouldn’t.’ In a nutshell, the most important aspect of doing so successfully is to just lift one’s foot and start a journey.

3. Leagfaidh tua bheag crann mór.

This literally means that a ‘small axe can fell a big tree’ and with that in mind, it is possible to do great things through small deeds.

4. Ná bris do loirgín ar stól nach bhfuil i do shlí.

This translates literally as don’t break your shin on a stool that’s not in your way but essentially means don’t go out of your way to get in trouble.

5. Is leor ó Mhór a dícheall.

This means that ‘all one can do is one’s best’. Another way you could phrase it is, ‘Is é do dhícheall é’ which means that it is as much as you can do.

6. Níor bhris focal maith fiacail riamh.

A good point to remember when you find yourself getting the itch to throw down some words, this proverb means that a ‘good word never broke a tooth’. Another similar one is “Ní mhillean dea-ghlór fiacail” which literally means a sweet voice does not injure the teeth or that it wouldn’t kill you to be nice.

7. Is fearr clú ná conach.

This straightforward proverb means that one’s character and good reputation are better than wealth.

8. Chíonn beirt rud nach bhfeiceann duine amháin.

Two people see a thing that an individual does not see. In other words, two heads are better than one.

9. Ar scáth a chéile a mhaireann na daoine .

One of the great Irish language proverbs whose literal meaning is ‘it is in each others’ shadow that people live’ but on reflection invokes a sense of community.

10. Aithnítear cara i gcruatán.

A wise phrase that means that a good friend is known in hardship.

11. Maireann croí éadrom a bhfad.

This lovely proverb means that a light heart lives long.

*Note about ‘a bhfad’ instead of ‘i bhfad’. This is just an older/alternative spelling, you’ll find things like a nÉirinn for ‘in Ireland, in Éirinn ’ in older texts too; since i is just pronounced as unstressed /ə, ɪ/ anyway, it doesn’t make much difference whether you write it i or a and you’ll see both.

12. Ní bhíonn an rath, ach mar a mbíonn an smacht.

There is no prosperity unless there is discipline. In other words, to fully excel at something regardless of what it may be, you must be fully committed to it.

13. Gheibheann cos ar siúl rud éigin.

A moving leg gets something.

14. Bíonn dhá insint ar scéal agus dhá leagan déag ar amhrán.

There are two versions of a story and twelve arrangements to a song.

15. Bíonn siúlach scéalach.

Travellers have tales to tell. Did you know that the words ‘siúlach’ and ‘scéalach’ are adjectives derived from the nouns ‘siúl’ (walk) and ‘scéal’ (story)?

16. Filleann an feall ar an bhfeallaire.

The treachery returns to the betrayer. What comes around goes around.

17. Is trom an t-ualach an t-aineaolas.

Ignorance is a heavy burden. Similar to the phrase, ‘ignorance is bliss’.

18. Is fearr obair ná caint.

Work is better than talk. Another one of the great Irish proverbs, it’s similar to the phrase “Put your money where your mouth is”.

19. Buail an iarann te.

Strike the hot iron (literally). The English language equivalent is, of course, “Strike while the iron is hot.”

20. Ní heolas go haontíos.

You must live with a person to know a person.

BONUS: Níl aon tóin tinn mar do thóin tinn féin There’s no sore arse like your own sore arse.

This is a play on the classic Níl aon tinteán mar do thinteán féin (there’s no place like home).

Did you enjoy these great Irish proverbs (seanfhocail)? Check out 10 more Irish proverbs on living and dying here .

I'm a freelance content creator, author, and journalist who has a strong desire to share interesting content about Irish people and things about Ireland at home and abroad. I am constantly curious.

Related Post

10 irish language proverbs (seanfhocail) on love and what they mean, 10 irish proverbs (seanfhocail) about living and dying, úna ní fhaircheallaigh: the forgotten heroine who shaped the lives of generations of irish women, 10 thoughts on “20 great irish proverbs (seanfhocail) to use this year”.

Stumbled across this on my twitter feed. Go raibh maith agat! I’ll be checking out this site often.

Fáilte romhat!

Nil aon thintean mar do thintean fein.

Thanks, some good ones here. I’ve been learning Irish (again) this year on Duolingo and sharing some of your stuff with my family who are mostly in Ireland. It’s a great language and I’m happy to know more of it once again.

Best of luck on your journey Bernard!

Hi Bernard! I’m also using Duolingo, but I needed more help with the pronunciation and also with the sentence construction. I got access (through PEIG ) to FutureLearn 101 which is a free Irish course, and I’m really enjoying it. I am an Afikaans speaking South African with Dutch, Flemish, German and Irish ancestors. Have been doing some genealogical research, but have found out so much more about Ireland since I started. Facinating! Slán agus coinnigh go maith! Louie

Hi Una, Love the collection of seanfhocail. Not sure I’d agree with your translation of “ar scáth” to mean “in shadow”. I think in the context it means more “in shelter” like a “scáth fearthainne”.

Thanks for your message Pádraig! Great point, I think both work here – the version of using it as “shadow” has been used quite a lot as the literal meaning, “People live in each other’s shadows” or that we rely on others.

Just so you know yourself, my name is actually Úna-Minh not Úna, but no worries!

glad I found this,was ok with the language but Im rusty from lack of use. Time to brush up,

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Red Line Book Festival Poetry Competition 2024 call for entries

Live free screening of kellie harrington fight in north east inner city, farmer plays matchmaker with ‘lonely hearts’ irish snails, it’s official: the book of mormon is coming to dublin (again).

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• Feb 4, 2023

Leaving Cert Irish Essays: A Guide for Students

Updated: Feb 17

Introduction

The Leaving Certificate Irish exam is a major challenge for students in Ireland, and one of the most difficult parts of the exam is the essay section. This section requires students to write a comprehensive and well-written essay in Irish on a topic of their choice. To help you prepare for this challenge, we have put together this guide to Leaving Cert Irish essays .

Choosing a Topic

The first step in writing a successful Leaving Cert Irish essay is choosing the right topic. The best topic is one that you are passionate about and that you have a good understanding of. It is also important to choose a topic that you can write about in a concise and structured manner. Here are a few tips to help you choose the right topic:

Choose a topic that you are familiar with

Choose a topic that you have a strong opinion on

Choose a topic that you can write about in a structured manner

Choose a topic that is relevant and up-to-date

Research and Preparation

Once you have chosen a topic, the next step is to do research and preparation. This involves gathering information about your topic and organizing it into a structure that you can use to write your essay. Here are a few tips to help you with your research and preparation:

Gather information from a variety of sources, including books, websites, and news articles

Take notes as you research to help you organize your thoughts

Use a mind map or outline to organize your information into a structure that you can use to write your essay

Make sure that you understand the key points of your topic and that you can explain them in your own words

Writing the Essay

Once you have done your research and preparation, it's time to start writing your essay. Here are a few tips to help you write a successful Leaving Cert Irish essay :

Start with a strong introduction that grabs the reader's attention and sets the tone for the rest of the essay

Use a clear and concise structure, with an introduction, body, and conclusion

Use examples and evidence to support your points

Use clear and concise language, and avoid using complex or technical terms unless necessary

End with a strong conclusion that ties together the main points of your essay

The Leaving Cert Irish essay is a challenging part of the exam, but with the right preparation and attention to detail, you can write a successful essay. By following the tips in this guide, you can choose the right topic, do your research, and write a well-structured and well-written essay that will impress the examiners and help you achieve a high grade. Good luck with your essay!

Are you a Leaving Certificate student looking to improve your grades and reach your full potential?

Look no further! Our grinds service offers personalized tutoring from experienced and qualified teachers. Our tailored approach ensures that you receive the support and guidance you need to excel in your exams and achieve your goals.

With our help, you will be well-prepared and confident on the day of your exams. Don't miss out on this valuable opportunity – contact us today to learn more and start achieving your dreams!

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Useful Irish Phrases and Words You Might Need

A (Very!) Short Introduction to the Irish Language

TripSavvy / Grace Heejung Kim 

Just how many Irish words do you need to get by in Ireland ? The simple answer: none. Literally everyone in Ireland speaks English, and the Irish language is seldom heard in everyday common usage except in the Gaeltacht (Irish-speaking areas mainly on the Western seaboard). But even here, English is generally the language used to communicate with any visitors.

Very few people still learn Irish as their first language so speaking Irish like the natives might fall beyond your linguistic abilities, however, it can be fun and helpful to learn a smattering of common words and Irish greetings.

You might, for instance, want to learn some Irish phrases and words in order to avoid coming across too touristy by wishing someone a "top o' the morning," which no Irish person would ever really say. In order to help you navigate Irish conversations, here is a helpful start. You won't actually get an Irish language course, but you will certainly notice that the local lingo can be quite different from plain English.

While you might not be able to actually hold a conversation in Irish , you should not feel too bad about that - almost no one can! Having said that, you can definitely spice up your English (and perhaps even find that Irish gift of the Blarney) with some Irish phrases and colloquialisms. This may actually endear the eachtrannach ("stranger"/"foreigner") to the locals. Just don’t expect them to buy you pints of Guinness to honor your effort.

Some useful phrases in Irish (that go beyond the essential words you should know in Irish), grouped by category:

Irish Greetings: Hello, Goodbye

• Hello - Dia duit. (literally "may God be with you")
• How are you? - Conas atá tú?
• I am ... - Is mise ...
• What's your name? - Cad es ainm duit?
• What's the news? - Cén scéal?
• Pleased to meet you - Tá áthas orm bualadh leat
• Welcome - Fáilte
• Goodbye (short and general form) - Slán
• Goodbye (if you are leaving) - Slán leat
• Goodbye (if you are staying) - Slán agat
• See you (later). - Slán go fóill.
• Stay safe, take care. - Tabhair aire.

Cheers in Irish

• Cheers - Sláinte (Literal meaning: health!)
• Cheers to the men and may the women live forever - Sláinte na bhfear agus go maire na mná go deo!

Small (but Important) Irish Words

Please note that while we have included "yes" and "no" here, this is not entirely correct. In fact, there are no such words in Irish, just approximations like "it is". This might have to do with the reluctance of the Irish to firmly commit to anything in life or just be a linguistic quirk; both theories have some merit.

• It is - Sea (used more often than "tá")
• It isn’t - Ní hea (used more often than "níl")
• Please - Le do thoil.
• Thank you - Go raibh maith agat
• I’m sorry - Tá brón orm
• Excuse me - Gabh mo leithscéal

Talking About the Irish Language (Or Not)

• Do you speak Irish? - An bhfuil Gaeilge agat?
• How do you say that in Irish? - Conas a déarfávsin as Gaeilge?
• I understand (you) - Tuigim (thú)
• I don't understand (you) - Ní thuigim (thú)
• Say again, please. - Abair aris é, le do thoil. 

Reading Irish Signs

• Mná - Women - yes, the big sign "MNÁ" on the lavatory door is not a mis-spelling of "MAN", so beware!
• Oscailte - Open
• Dúnta - Closed
• As seirbis - Out of service
• An lar - Town centre
• Garda - Police (the official title in the Republic of Ireland only, in Northern Ireland the Police Service is translated as Seirbhís Póilíneachta )
• Eolais - Information
• Oifig Eolais - Tourist Information
• Oifig an Phoist - Post Office
• Páirceáil - Parking

Irish Blessings and Curses

• Cáisc shona! - Happy Easter!
• Go n-éiri an bóthár leat! - Have a good journey!
• Go n-ithe an cat thú is go n-ithe an diabhal an cat! - May you be eaten by a cat that will be eaten by the devil! (the Irish version of "Go to hell!")
• Imeacht gan teacht ort! - May you just leave and never come back! (the Irish version of "Bugger off!")
• Nollaig shona! - Merry Christmas!
• Oíche mhaith! - Good night!
• Saol fada chugat! - A long life to you!
• Sláinte! - Your health! (the Irish version of "Cheers!")
• Sláinte is táinte! - May you be healthy and wealthy! (the Irish version of "All the best!")
• Titim gan eiri ort! - Fall down and never rise again! (the Irish version of "Drop dead!")

Counting in Irish

• 4 - ceathair
• 11 - aon déag
• 12 - dó déag
• 30 - tríocha
• 40 - daichead
• 60 - seasca
• 70 - seachtó
• 1,000 - míle

Days of the Week

• Monday - Dé Luain
• Tuesday - Dé Máirt
• Wednesday - Dé Céadaoin
• Thursday - Déardaoin
• Friday - Dé hAoine
• Saturday - Dé Sathairn
• Sunday - Dé Domhnaigh

Months of the Year

• January - Eanair
• February - Feabhra
• March - Márta
• April - Aibreán
• May- Bealtaine
• June - Meitheamh
• July - Iúil
• August - Lúnasa
• September - Meán Fomhair
• October - Deireadh Fomhair
• November - Samhain
• December - Nollaig
• spring - an t-earrach
• summer - an samhradh
• fall - an fómhar
• winter - an geimhreadh

And How Do You Pronounce These Irish Mouthfuls?

You might think "Ah, well, Ireland is next to Britain ... so even if the words are different the pronunciation should be much the same." But if you try to say Irish words using English rules for pronunciation you will probably be met with laughter or confused stares. Irish uses a lot of the same alphabet as English but this is only because a specially developed style of Irish writing failed to become standard.

Vowel Sounds

Irish uses the same five vowels as English, but the pronunciation is different at times; if there is an accent over the vowel it is a "long" vowel:

• a is pronounced as in "cat", but á is pronounced as in "saw".
• e is pronounced as in "wet", but é is pronounced as in "way".
• i is pronounced as in "fit", but í is pronounced as in "fee".
• o is pronounced as in "son", but ó is pronounced as in "slow".
• u is pronounced as in "put", but ú is pronounced as in "school".

Vowels are also divided into "slender" (e, é, i and í) and "broad" (the rest), influencing the pronunciation of the consonants before them.

Consonant Sounds

As a general rule, all single consonants are said as they are in English, with some important exceptions. When you see more than one consonant together then there may be very interesting tongue-teasers hidden in them, such as:

• bh - pronounced as in "village", it is similar to our v .
• bhf - pronounced as in "wall", it is similar to our w .
• c - always pronounced as in "cut", like a k .
• ch - pronounced as in "loch".
• d - pronounced as in "do" when followed by a "broad" vowel. - pronounced like the j in "joy" when followed by a "slender" vowel.
• mh - pronounced like the w in "will" (again).
• s - pronounced as a normal s when followed by a "broad" vowel. - pronounced like sh in "shop" when followed by a "slender" vowel. - pronounced like sh at the end of a word.
• t - pronounced like a normal t when followed by a "broad" vowel. - pronounced like the ch in "child" when followed by a "slender" vowel.
• th - pronounced just like the h in "home". - pronounced like the t in "bet". - pronounced not at all at the end of a word.

Other Oddities of Spoken Irish

While the above are good guidelines for speaking Irish, even people from neighboring villages in the gaeltacht (the Irish-speaking areas) don't always agree on the proper pronunciation.

You may notice that the Irish tend to roll their r more than other people, even when speaking English. At the same time, the horror of clustered consonants is obvious, the English "film" becoming "fillim" regularly. Oh, and a very good party trick is to have an Irishman read out "33 1/3" which may end up as "dirty tree and a turd".

Pulling It All Together

There also is a tendency to pull together several vowels and consonants into one sound—either through convention or laziness. Thus Dun Laoghaire is best pronounced " dunleary ". Which leads to the conclusion that...

Proper Irish Pronunciation Can Only be Learned by Interacting with Native Speakers

Trying to learn Irish from books is like trying to scale Mount Everest via virtual reality —not impossible but far from the real thing. Even with the help of tapes and CDs you simply will not come up the conversation standard. And, above all, avoid the dreaded Stage Irish of the standard tourists! It makes the real Irish cringe every time.

Are the Irish Speaking Irish?

The Partition Between the Republic and Northern Ireland

7 Traditional Irish Foods

Ireland With No Frills

Traditional Music Sessions in Ireland

Driving in Ireland: What You Need to Know

Ireland and the Muslim Traveller

Renting a Car in Ireland

Getting Around Belfast: Guide to Public Transportation

What Time Does Ireland Open for Business?

9 Romantic Things to Do in Ireland

Weather in Ireland: Climate, Seasons, and Average Monthly Temperature

Is It Safe in Ireland?

Toll Roads and Charges in Ireland

Shannon Airport Guide

Taking the Ferry to Ireland

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Give Gaeilge a Go: Useful Irish Phrases and where to Practice

Dia Duit! Conas atá tú? An bhfuil aon Gaeilge agat? Well if your answer is níl, or you just couldn’t understand what we were saying above, then now is the perfect time to learn a bit of Irish!

Our native tongue is going through a bit of a resurgence at the moment, with growing numbers of young people speaking the language, various media campaigns being rolled out to encourage its use and organisations working to give it more prominence in our day-to-day lives. Here at This is Galway, we have a huge grá for promoting the language; it’s a great way to keep the unique culture of the West of Ireland alive and thriving.

So with Seachtain na Gaeilge running from March 1-17, you might be thinking it’s time to join the Gaeilge Gang, and we want to help! Below you’ll find some simple and useful everyday phrases you can use, as well as a couple of places where you can practice them to improve your confidence in speaking the language and to help spread the word (literally!).

Oh, and remember: Is fearr Gaeilge briste, ná Béarla clíste (Broken Irish is better than clever English!). So don’t be nervous!

How to say it as Gaeilge…

Hello! = Dia Duit [jee-ya gwitch) Hello (to more than one person) = Dia dhaoibh [jee-ya yeeuv) I would like… = Ba mhaith liom… [ba wah lum] Please = Mas é do thoil é [mosh ay duh hell ay] Thank you very much = Go raibh míle maith agat [guh row meela maw ogut] Where Is the…? = Cá bhfuil an… ? [kaw will on]

Where to say it as Gaeilge…

You can now shout some Gaeilge from the rooftops and help spread the word, but there are a few particular places across Galway which will help you hone your skills even more!

Over a coffee... If you want to practice your Irish daily, head to Plámás . The lovely folk at this cute and cosy little coffeeshop in Galway’s Westend go above and beyond to champion the Irish language. They’ve got phonetic instructions written on the wall (i.e. the sounds you need to make!) on how to place your order through Gaeilge, and you’ll even get a discount when you try it out. You don’t have to be a native speaker to get a coffee here, just give it a go!

Surrounded by culture… Speaking of keeping Irish culture alive, nothing goes better with Gaeilge than ceol agus ól (i.e. trad music and a pint of Guinness!). So we highly recommend heading to Taaffes , an iconic Irish pub on Galway’s Shop Street where a lot of the bar staff and customers speak fluently. There’s always GAA on the telly and a trad session in the corner so you can further surround yourself with the culture and language. Alternatively, if you like the sound of Irish culture but don’t fancy a pint, head to An Taibhdhearc to see an Irish language play!

At The Gaeltacht They say the West Coast of Ireland is home to the last remaining vestiges of old Éire, and it’s easy to see why as you explore those parts of Connemara and County Galway where Gaeilge is the primary language and our heritage is very much alive. From road signs to shop names and Sunday mass sermons to pub small talk, everything happens through the Irish language in these charming pockets in Galway and they are the ideal place to fully immerse yourself! For the city slickers who are afraid to stray too far into the countryside, sign up for the Irish language classes at Áras na nGael in Galway’s Westend.

Running from 1st-17th of March, Seachtain na Gaeilge is an international Irish language festival sponsored by Energia, which is the biggest celebration of our native language and culture that takes place in Ireland and in many other countries every year. So, this March, make use of our handy tips and start speaking our lovely language.

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51 Typical Irish Sayings And Phrases To Impress Your Irish Friends

If there is one thing Irish people are known for, and I am not talking about the drink, it is their famous Irish sayings and phrases. These phrases range from totally understandable to nonsensical and sometimes naughty and inappropriate. 

In all honesty, the blend of the native Irish language and English language forced upon the Irish a hundred or so years ago has led to some rather interesting sayings that can have you wondering what they mean.

But trust me, if you want to blend in with the local crowd and impress some of your Irish pals, you are going to want to know some common phrases and whether you should use them – don’t worry, I will let you know which ones you do not want to use.

Ready to learn about some Irish phrases you need to use and a couple you want to avoid?

Alright then, here we go.

7 Funny Irish Sayings

4 short irish sayings, 5 old irish sayings, 5 irish phrases, 6 famous irish sayings, 7 common irish sayings, 4 stereotypical irish sayings, 9 things irish people say, 5 irish phrases in english.

• The Irish Love Their Sayings 

“ God invented whiskey to prevent the Irish from ruling the world”

The Irish have a massive history of emigration, and it means there are likely more Irish people outside of Ireland than in it now. 

The stereotype that the Irish are drunkards definitely isn’t true. Yes, we love a good bevvy or two but we can also say no. But that is where this saying comes from. If it was not for the whiskey, we’d have taken over the world by now. 

“ My stomach thinks my throats been cut”

This one is a long-winded way of saying you are starving and could do with a good feeding.

“ She ’ d talk the hind legs off a donkey”

This phrase is still common in Ireland, even today. It is used to describe either someone who has some serious charm when it comes to their speech or to describe someone who just does not know when to shut up. 

“ He still has his communion money”

If you know anything about the Irish Catholics, their communion is a big deal. When you take communion at around eight years old, it is customary for friends and family to gift you a little bit of money.

So, this saying is a funnier way of telling someone they are tight-fisted with their finances. 

“ You could grow potatoes in them ears”

What do spuds grow in? Mud, that’s what. So, take a hazard of a guess at what this funny Irish saying is hinting at.

If someone says you could grow potatoes in your ears, it’s them telling you a bath would not go a miss because you look like you have mud behind your ears.

“ This isn ’ t a hangover – it ’ s the Irish flu”

I have put this one here because it is everywhere on the internet. Yeah, it’s a little funny and it does play on the alcoholic stereotype of the Irish. However, it’s not spoken here or at least I have never heard anyone use this saying. 

“ Don ’ t let the door hit you on the arse on the way out!”

Now, this one is definitely used today and I have heard it said many times. It is more sarcastic than funny and is generally used when speaking to someone you want to leave. 

In short, it means don’t linger in the doorway. Leave before the door closes. 

“ She ’ s/He ’ s away with the fairies”

You might have already heard of this saying but just in case you don’t know what it means, I had to add it here. 

Used often in Ireland, this saying describes someone who isn’t rooted in reality or is living in their own little daydream world. 

“ If you want praise, die”

It’s no secret, the Irish, as nice as we all are, aren’t very good at supporting and celebrating successes. I have no idea why but we’re also not very good at taking compliments either. 

However, the minute someone dies, they are praised from the rooftops by the entire town. So, if you want praise, you have to die to get any.

“ Two people shorten the road”

I love this short Irish phrase. It’s really sweet and also very true. It’s a more delicate way of saying a journey goes faster when you have company.

“ A good word never broke a tooth”

I know I said the Irish aren’t very good at taking a compliment or celebrating success but it’s no secret we’re a friendly and helpful bunch. This saying pretty much means you never lost anything by being good or doing something nice. 

“ It would fit Fionn Mac Cumhaill”

If you know anything about Irish mythology, you’ll have heard the stories of Fionn Mac Cumhaill. He was sometimes depicted as the leader of the Fianna warriors but also as a giant. Remember the Giants Causeway in Northern Ireland? Yeah, that was thanks to Fionn Mac Cumhaill and his war with the Scottish giant, Benandonner. 

So, this saying was used when you would have been handed an item of clothing way too big for your body. 

“ You can ’ t make a silk purse out of a sow ’ s ear”

I’ve heard this saying used outside of Ireland, so it no longer belongs to just the Irish. It’s often used when someone is asked to make something beautiful out of something ugly, cheap, or tacky. 

If you’re feeling particularly nasty, this saying can even be used to describe a person. 

“ All his geese are swans”

This Irish phrase, much like many other Irish sayings, uses imagery to convey its message and it’s not necessarily a good one. If you overhear someone using this saying to describe you, it means they think you love to exaggerate things. Especially things that make you sound or look better.

“ I knew him since his boots cost fourpence”

The Irish love to proclaim how long they have known someone and this saying describes just that. Although it’s not used anymore, it was used as a way of saying you had known someone since they were a young child. 

“ May everything turn green today except your gills”

Green is the colour of luck, money, and good fortune here in Ireland. However, if you’re green about the gills, it means you are under the weather and a bit ill.

So, this Irish phrase is wishing you luck and good fortune for the day but hoping you stay in good health. 

“ Who gossips with you will gossip of you”

Those you gossip about others with will have no problem gossiping about you to others. It’s an Irish phrase warning you from gossiping and also being able to spot those you can’t trust.

“ May the cat eat you and the devil eat the cat”

The Irish have come up with inventive ways of cursing at each other. This particular saying can also be spoken in Irish Gaelic “ Go n-ithe an cat thú is go n-ithe an diabhal an cat”  and it’s a fancy way of saying go to hell. 

It can also be interpreted as someone telling you that you will die with only a cat for company and then that cat will eat you. Nice!

“ May the lord keep you in his hand and never close his fist too tight”

The Irish have always loved a good religious phrase and this is one of the most popular. You might not hear it spoken often these days but some of the older generations still use it.

It’s a lovely way of telling someone you hope the lord keeps them safe and well. 

“ If you ’ re lucky enough to be Irish, then you ’ re lucky enough”

The Irish are proud to be, well, Irish. There’s no shame in it. Our entire nation is loved all over the world. So, this saying is a lovely way of telling someone being Irish in this life is more than enough lock on its own. 

“ May the good lord take a liking to you – but not too soon”

This is another religious saying wishing someone luck and safety. It’s a hope that God gives you goodness, joy, and happiness throughout your life but doesn’t like you enough to send you to heaven before your time. 

“ He ’ s talking a load of Blarney”

If you have heard the stories of the Blarney Stone in county Cork, you already know that by giving it a kiss you are supposed to be blessed with the gift of the gab, or the ability to chat your way into and out of any situation. 

However, if someone says that you are talking a load of Blarney, they probably mean you are talking a load of rubbish.

“ Póg mo thóin”

This Irish saying can be found in every gift shop, plastered over t-shirts, beer coasters, and even fridge magnets if you’re lucky. If you ask an Irish local for a phrase in Irish, they may prank you and tell you this one is a friendly greeting.

But it’s not. You could offend someone if you say this to someone you don’t know, as it means ‘kiss my arse’ in English. Still, want to know how to say it? You can pronounce this famous Irish phrase this way ‘ pog ma hon ’.

“ What ’ s the craic?”

This is one famous Irish saying that may baffle most visitors and have you questioning whether you look like a drug dealer or not. 

Do not fear, this saying has nothing to do with illegal recreation and actually means ‘How are you?’ Or ‘Any news?’ And is generally used as a greeting between friends.

“ Acting the maggot”

Forget those wiggly, cream-coloured maggots you’re familiar with. This famous Irish phrase has nothing to do with the offspring of the common household fly. 

Instead, it can mean someone is acting foolishly or someone is being a bit cheeky. 

“ On me tod”

Another phrase you can hear spoken in Ireland, this saying is a way of telling someone you are on your own. 

“ Sure, you know yourself”

This famous Irish saying is one of those sayings that is a little hard to explain because it’s used in different ways. 

For example, if someone were to ask you whether you were heading to the pub tonight, you could answer ‘sure, you know yourself’. It could mean sure, if you are, I probably am but it’s a nifty way of not locking yourself into any plans. 

“ Come here to me”

This common Irish phrase does not actually mean that someone wants you to come over to them. It is a saying used when someone is curious or wants information from you. When someone wants to ask you something, they will say ‘come here to me’ instead of ‘can I ask you a question’. 

“ Sure, look it”

This is another Irish saying that has multiple meanings but the most common use is close to saying ‘it is what it is’. 

For example ‘I lost my wallet when I was in Dublin’, ‘Oh no, that’s awful’, ‘Ah, sure, look it’. 

Who the hell is yer man? He seems to pop up in Irish society so often that it seems like everyone knows who he is. Sometimes, you may even find yer man is referring to a woman. 

Yer man is usually a saying someone uses if they can’t remember the name of someone. For example ‘Who’s yer man over there?’

“ There ’ s a grand all stretch”

Look, the weather in Ireland is my only gripe about living here. I swear there are at least 300 days of rain here in Donegal. So, it is not surprising that the weather is often on the lips of every Irish person. That includes when the evenings finally start getting longer as summer approaches.

A grand stretch is a fairly broad phrase used for a long stretch in the evening.

“ I will, yeah”

Now, this phrase can be used in an honest-to-goodness kind of way but more often, you’ll find it said in a sarcastic tone. So, don’t be confused when you realize that this phrase doesn’t mean someone is happy to do something. 

Usually, it will mean ‘I’m not doing that’.

“ Cop on to yourself”

We have all been in a situation where someone is being a bit silly. This is what this phrase was created for. It’s a longer, and more Irish way, of saying ‘get a grip’. 

“ Giving out”

I remember the first time I went home to Scotland after moving to Ireland and used this phrase with my mum. All I got was a blank stare, a pause, and then a ‘giving out what?’.

This Irish phrase is another way of saying someone was having a go at someone else, they were telling them what for, or they were shouting at someone. 

“ Top O The Morning To Ya!”

We have all heard of this one but I will say it right now, no one in Ireland says this. At least they don’t say it and mean it. It is a very old Irish way of saying good morning but the way it has become tied to the stereotype of the Irish has seen it disappear from the modern-day Irish language. 

“ And the rest of the day to yourself”

If you know ‘top o the morning to ya’ then you know that this is what you should reply to someone who says it. It means good morning as well. 

However, it is unlikely you will have to remember this one if you ever visit Ireland. Some Irish American communities still use these stereotypical Irish sayings but the only person I know who says this is my Irish father-in-law and even then he says it in jest. 

“ Christ on a bike!”

Just like you might shout ‘Jesus Christ’ or ‘Oh my god’, Christ on a bike is another phrase of exclamation and is usually used when something shocking or incredible has happened. 

“ The gift of the gab”

Now, this stereotypical Irish phrase is still used today. Anyone who is said to have the gift of the gab is thought to have a way with words. This saying is usually used to describe someone charming, who has a way with words and can chat with anyone and everyone. 

Grand can be used in many different ways. It can mean ok, no problem, good, sounds good to me, and even great. 

This word is used to describe people who live in the countryside or anyone who lives outside of Dublin. It has not always been a nice word to use, so you might want to avoid this one if you are visiting Ireland. 

Just like the saying ‘looks like a pig sty’, the word kip often describes a dirty room or living accommodation. Alternatively, it can be used as another word for a nap. 

I think this is one of the best words to come out of Ireland and it means idiot. Think someone is being stupid or they have done something a bit silly, they can be described as an eejit. 

This does not mean something dangerous or life-threatening. This word describes something really cool or exciting. 

The Irish have so many ways to say good or ok and this is another one and it can be used on its own or in a sentence. 

If you hear someone saying they are going to the jacks, this does not mean they are visiting someone called Jack, it means they are going to the toilet. 

“ Banjaxed”

If something is broken beyond repair and no longer good for its job, it is probably banjaxed. 

“ Feck/Feck it”

Look, the Irish love a curse word but they know it is not always appropriate. So, feck is as close to the word f*ck you can get without actually saying the word. 

“ Dia Duit”

The direct translation of this Gaelic phrase means ‘god bless you’ but it is more commonly used to say hello. You can pronounce this phrase as  dia doot .  

This Irish word, pronounced  slahn , means farewell or goodbye. 

If you have ever been to an Irish pub, you have probably heard this “ Slainte ” uttered once or twice, and it means health in English. It is used as an Irish Gaelic alternative to saying cheers when toasting drinks.

Pronounced  ful-cha , you will see this word plastered everywhere as you leave and enter different Irish towns. In English, it means welcome. 

 “Le do thoil”

This is an excellent phrase to know, especially if you are planning on visiting our Gaeltacht areas. It means please and is pronounced  leh da-hel .

The Irish Love Their Sayings  

The language used by Irish people is colorful, confusing, and full of fantastic imagery. One of the best bits about living in Ireland is being a part of what feels like a coded language at times.

Some of our sayings stem from our Christian religions, and others have just come about as a way of cursing without actually cursing. 

So, if you ever visit our emerald isle, now you are well educated on some of the best Irish sayings and phrases and you even know how to use them. 

Continue Reading:

• Famous Irish Americans In History
• Irish Birthday Blessings and Toasts
• How To Say Cheers in Gaelic?
• What is Ireland Known For?

Natasha Peters

I am a British-born copywriter who moved to Ireland over a decade ago and have been captivated by Irish culture, landscape and folklore. I enjoy sharing my passion for Ireland through my writing as a freelancer.

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Irish Oral and Essay phrases.

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8 page PDF file containing phrases and sentence starters for the Irish Oral and Essay.

There is a section containing key verbs in the M.C, A.C, A.L agus A.F that can be used when making your points. 

There is also a section containing seanfhocail (proverbs).

Space has been left in some sections to allow you to add in more verbs & phrases.

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He Stands Out in a ‘Sea of Elites and Strivers’: Our Writers on What Tim Walz Brings to the Ticket

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On Tuesday, Kamala Harris announced that Tim Walz, the governor of Minnesota, was her running mate. We asked eight of our columnists and contributors to assess the pick by rating Mr. Walz on two metrics: how much he’ll help Ms. Harris against Donald Trump and how much enthusiasm he’ll generate.

What excites you about the pick?

Josh Barro, author of the newsletter Very Serious Tim Walz is good on television, and his roots as a high school teacher and football coach from the rural Midwest will offer a good contrast to the Republican ticket. And he does no harm — what voter is open to Kamala Harris but finds Walz too off-putting to elect?

Charles M. Blow, Times columnist Walz made “weird” happen. His affable and relatable style on the campaign trail helped him distill the current conservative movement into a single word, “weird,” that has been a surprisingly effective attack line. He brings a plain-talking, labor-friendly, Midwestern appeal to the ticket. He is Joe Biden, 20 years ago.

Jane Coaston, contributing Opinion writer We have never had a defensive coordinator in the White House or on the campaign trail. Excited to hear how the 4-4 will work nationally.

Gail Collins, Times columnist Teacher and football coach!

Michelle Cottle, political writer for Opinion The guy looks natural rocking a camo baseball cap and grubby T-shirt — a big plus for a party that has trouble relating to regular folks. Plus, he clearly knows how to have fun in the attack-dog role without being the least bit nasty.

Liam Donovan, Republican strategist An affable character with an avuncular charm befitting a career teacher and coach. Walz’s background as a senior enlisted National Guardsman and his unique path to the governor’s mansion stand out in a sea of elites and strivers. Odd-couple pairing adds cultural and optical balance to the ticket.

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Edna O’Brien, Irish novelist and iconoclast known for ‘The Country Girls,’ dies at 93

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Edna O’Brien, Ireland’s literary pride and outlaw who scandalized her native land with her debut novel “The Country Girls” before gaining international acclaim as a storyteller and iconoclast that found her welcomed everywhere from Dublin to the White House, has died. She was 93.

O’Brien died Saturday after a long illness, according to a statement by her publisher Faber and the literary agency PFD.

“A defiant and courageous spirit, Edna constantly strove to break new artistic ground, to write truthfully, from a place of deep feeling,” Faber said in a statement. “The vitality of her prose was a mirror of her zest for life: she was the very best company, kind, generous, mischievous, brave.” She is survived by her sons, Marcus and Carlos.

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O’Brien published more than 20 books, most of them novels and story collections, and would know fully what she called the “extremities of joy and sorrow, love, crossed love and unrequited love, success and failure, fame and slaughter.” Few so concretely and poetically challenged Ireland’s religious, sexual and gender boundaries. Few wrote so fiercely, so sensually about loneliness, rebellion, desire and persecution.

“O’Brien is attracted to taboos just as they break, to the place of greatest heat and darkness and, you might even say, danger to her mortal soul,” Booker Prize winner Anne Enright wrote of her in the Guardian in 2012.

A world traveler in mind and body, O’Brien was as likely to imagine the longings of an Irish nun as to take in a man’s “boyish smile” in the midst of a “ponderous London club.” She befriended movie stars and heads of state while also writing sympathetically about Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams and meeting with female farm workers in Nigeria who feared abduction by Boko Haram.

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O’Brien was an unknown about to turn 30, living with her husband and two small children outside of London, when “The Country Girls” made her Ireland’s most notorious exile since James Joyce. Written in just three weeks and published in 1960, for an advance of about $75, “The Country Girls” follows the lives of two young women: Caithleen (Kate) Brady and Bridget (Baba) Brennan journey from a rural convent to the risks and adventures of Dublin. Admirers were as caught up in their defiance and awakening as would-be censors were enraged by such passages as “He opened his braces and let his trousers slip down around the ankles” and “He patted my knees with his other hand. I was excited and warm and violent.”

Fame, wanted or otherwise, was O’Brien’s ever after. Her novel was praised and purchased in London and New York while back in Ireland it was labeled “filth” by Minister of Justice Charles Haughey and burned publicly in O’Brien’s hometown of Tuamgraney, County Clare. Detractors also included O’Brien’s parents and her husband, the author Ernest Gebler, from whom O’Brien was already becoming estranged.

“I had left the spare copy on the hall table for my husband to read, should he wish, and one morning he surprised me by appearing quite early in the doorway of the kitchen, the manuscript in his hand,” she wrote in her memoir “Country Girl,” published in 2012. “He had read it. Yes, he had to concede that despite everything, I had done it, and then he said something that was the death knell of the already ailing marriage — ‘You can write and I will never forgive you.’”

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She continued the stories of Kate and Baba in “The Lonely Girl” and “Girls in Their Married Bliss” and by the mid-1960s was single and enjoying the prime of “Swinging London,” whether socializing with Princess Margaret and Marianne Faithfull, or having a fling with actor Robert Mitchum (“I bet you never tasted white peaches,” he said upon meeting her). Another night, she was escorted home by Paul McCartney, who asked to see her children, picked up her son’s guitar and improvised a song that included the lines about O’Brien, “She’ll have you sighing/ She’ll have you crying/ Hey/ She’ll blow your mind away.”

Enright would call O’Brien “the first Irish woman ever to have sex. For some decades, indeed, she was the only Irish woman to have had sex — the rest just had children.”

O’Brien was recognized well beyond the world of books. The 1980s British band Dexy’s Midnight Runners named her alongside Eugene O’Neill, Samuel Beckett and Oscar Wilde and others in the literary tribute “Burn It Down.” She dined at the White House with then-First Lady Hillary Clinton and Jack Nicholson, and she befriended Jacqueline Kennedy, whom O’Brien remembered as a “creature of paradoxes. While being private and immured she also had a hunger for intimacy — it was as if the barriers she had put up needed at times to be battered down.”

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O’Brien related well to Kennedy’s reticence, and longing. The literary world gossiped about the author’s love life, but O’Brien’s deepest existence was on the page, from addressing a present that seemed without boundaries (“She longed to be free and young and naked with all the men in the world making love to her, all at once,” one of her characters thinks) to sorting out a past that seemed all boundaries — “the don’ts and the don’ts and the don’ts.”

In her story “The Love Object,” the narrator confronts her lust, and love, for an adulterous family man who need only say her name to make her legs tremble. “Long Distance” arrives at the end of an affair as a man and woman struggle to recapture their feelings for each other, haunted by grudges and mistrust.

“Love, she thought, is like nature but in reverse; first it fruits, then it flowers, then it seems to wither, then it goes deep, deep down into its burrow, where no one sees it, where it is lost from sight and ultimately people die with that secret buried inside their souls,” O’Brien wrote.

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“A Scandalous Woman” follows the stifling of a lively young Irish nonconformist — part of that “small solidarity of scandalous women who had conceived children without securing fathers” — and ends with O’Brien’s condemning her country as a “land of shame, a land of murder and a land of strange sacrificial women.” In “My Two Mothers,” the narrator prays for the chance to “begin our journey all over again, to live our lives as they should have been lived, happy, trusting, and free of shame.”

O’Brien’s other books included the erotic novel “August Is a Wicked Month,” which drew upon her time with Mitchum and was banned in parts of Ireland; “Down by the River,” based on a true story about a teenage Irish girl who becomes pregnant after being raped by her father, and the autobiographical “The Light of Evening,” in which a famous author returns to Ireland to see her ailing mother. “Girl,” a novel about victims of Boko Haram, came out in 2019.

O’Brien is among the most notable authors never to win the Nobel or even the Booker Prize. Her honors did include an Irish Book Award for lifetime achievement, the PEN/Nabokov prize and the Frank O’Connor award in 2011 for her story collection “Saints and Sinners,” for which she was praised by poet and award judge Thomas McCarthy as “the one who kept speaking when everyone else stopped talking about being an Irish woman.”

Josephine Edna O’Brien, born Dec. 15, 1930, was one of four children raised on a farm where “the relics of riches remained. It was a life full of contradictions. We had an avenue, but it was full of potholes; there was a gatehouse, but another couple lived there.” Her father was a violent alcoholic, her mother a talented letter writer who disapproved of her daughter’s profession, possibly out of jealousy. Lena O’Brien’s hold on her daughter’s imagination, the force of her regrets, made her a lifelong muse and a near stand-in Ireland itself, “the cupboard with all things in it, the tabernacle with God in it, the lake with the legends in it.”

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Like Kate and Baba in “The Country Girls,” O’Brien was educated in part at a convent, “dour years” made feverish by a disorienting crush she developed on one of the nuns. Language, too, was a temptation, and signpost, like the words she came upon on the back of her prayer book: “Lord, rebuke me not in thy wraith, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.”

“What did it mean?” she remembered thinking. “It didn’t matter what it meant. It would carry me through lessons and theorems and soggy meat and cabbage, because now, in secret, I had been drawn into the wild heart of things.”

By her early 20s, she was working in a pharmacy in Dublin and reading Tolstoy and Thackeray among others in her spare time. She had dreams of writing since sneaking out to nearby fields as a child to work on stories, but doubted the relevance of her life until she read a Joyce anthology and learned that “Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man” was autobiographical. She began writing fiction that ran in the literary magazine the Bell and found work reviewing manuscripts for the publishing house Hutchinson, where editors were impressed enough by her summaries to commission what became “The Country Girls.”

“I cried a lot writing ‘The Country Girls,’ but scarcely noticed the tears. Anyhow, they were good tears. They touched on feelings that I did not know I had. Before my eyes, infinitely clear, came that former world in which I believed our fields and hollows had some old music slumbering in them, centuries old,” she wrote in her memoir.

“The words poured out of me, and the pen above the paper was not moving fast enough, so that I sometimes feared they would be lost forever.”

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