St. Patrick’s Day Irish Language Lesson Free

St. Patrick's Day

Lá Fhéile Pádraig Law Ale-yeh Pawd-rig Saint Patrick's Day is a religious holiday in Ireland, happening each year on the 17th of March. Lá Fhéile Pádraig celebrates the patron saint of Ireland - Patrick, who lived in the beginning of the 5th century AD. Saint Patrick is the most recognised Irish saint and it is no wonder a special day is dedicated to celebrate his legacy in the Irish culture.  

Lá Fhéile Pádraig began as a Catholic holiday and became an official feast day in the early 17th century. Today Lá Fhéile Pádraig represents a week-long (and somewhere longer) celebration of Irish language, music, culture and art. 

The main attraction of Saint Patrick's Day are huge parades in the cities around the country (and the world, organised by Irish diaspora). Children, sports clubs, brass bands and other performers walk down the streets of Irish cities with Irish music blaring through the speakers and the spectators, wearing traditional shamrocks, cheering them on.

But you've probably heard about the parades already or even been to one, so leaving the facts aside, in this lesson you are going to learn some crucial Irish Gaelic expressions to get you through the day.

Some basic expressions

Lá Fhéile Pádraig Law Ale-yeh Pawd-rig St. Patrick's Day

Lá 'le Pádraig Law leh Pawd-rig St. Patrick's Day. As you'll see this is simply a shorter version of the previous phrase. It drops part of the word "féile", making it quicker to say.

Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig oraibh. Byan-okht-ee nah Fay-leh Pawd-rig ur-iv. St. Patrick's Day blessing upon you. (plural)

or a more recent saying

Lá Fhéile Pádraig Sona Duit! Law Ale-yeh Pawd-rig Sunna Ditch! Happy St. Patrick's Day! (singular)

Lá Fhéile Pádraig Sona Daoibh! Law Ale-yeh Pawd-rig Sunna Deev! Happy St. Patrick's Day! (plural)

seamróg sham-rogue shamrock

lá saoire law see-ra holiday (a single day, not a vacation)

Ádh na nÉireannach Awe nah Nay-ron-okh Luck of the Irish

After the parade...

Cá mbeidh tú ag fliuchadh na seamróige? Caw meg too egg flyuh-ka nah sham-roh-ih-geh? Where will you be wetting the shamrock? (to wet the shamrock - to go for a drink, especially on St. Patrick's Day!)

Pionta Guinness, le do thoil. Pyun-tah Guinness, leh duh huh-il. A pint of Guinness, please.

Sláinte is táinte! Sloyn-cheh iss toin-cheh! Health and wealth!

Sláinte! Sloyn-cheh! Cheers!

Tabhair póg dom, táim Éireannach. Tower pogue dum, toim Aye-ron-okh Kiss me, I'm Irish.

An bhfuil tú ar meisce fós? On will too air mesh-keh fohss? Are you drunk yet?

uisce beatha ish-keh byah-ha whiskey

beoir byoh-ir beer

Éirinn go brách Aye-rin guh brawkh Ireland forever

Is Éireannach mé! Iss Aye-ron-okh may! I'm Irish!

Go raibh maith agat. Guh rev mah a-gut. Thank you.

Tá fáilte romhat. Taw foyle-cheh roh-ot. You're welcome.

Tír gan teanga, tír gan anam. Cheer gon chong-gah, cheer gon on-om. A country without a language, a country without a soul.

Congratulations! You just finished this lesson and are all set for Lá Fhéile Pádraig!

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