To celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, I collected 17 Irish Proverbs for St. Patrick’s Day for you! What better way (other than drinking green beer and cavorting around dressed as a leprechaun) to celebrate all things Irish than to spend a few minutes reading and digesting the meaning behind Irish proverbs?
The beautiful photo of the Irish countryside reminds me of a trip to Ireland in 2007. I was standing in the parking lot of Aillwee Cave atop a hill and this pastoral panorama unfolded as far as the eye could see. Gentle rolling hills of the greenest green, pastures of sheep, horses, cows, cordoned off by trees and The Burren in the distance beyond. Glorious!
At that time, I had a point-and-shoot camera, a Panasonic Lumix. Sadly, I lost that camera on a trip to Hawaii a few months later!
I know – how lucky was I! Two fabulous trips – Ireland and Hawaii – within a few months’ time. 2007 was an eventful year for me because we lost our home in a wildfire a few weeks after returning from Hawaii.
But, I digress…
Looking for more Irish blessings, sayings, and toasts? No worries – this post is one of four in a series! Check out the other three below:
Eat, Drink, and Be Irish – 17 Irish Toasts for St. Patrick’s Day
Irish Eyes are Smiling – 17 Irish Sayings for St. Patrick’s Day
Irish for a Day – 17 Irish Blessings for St. Patrick’s Day
And, guess what? I’ve created a beautiful printable FREE eBook that includes ALL of these quotes and photos wrapped up together! All you have to do is subscribe to my newsletter below and get all of these as my gift to you!
[convertkit form=5281586]With these 68 printable designs in hand, you can frame them and display them as part of your St. Paddy’s Day celebration or you can frame them for year-round use as motivational and inspirational quotes. Or you can print them and display them on a corkboard or your refrigerator. If you are the crafty sort, you can use them for craft projects. Just subscribe to my newsletter and, boom, straight to your inbox!
17 Irish Proverbs for St. Patrick’s Day
Anyway, back to the 17 Irish proverbs for St. Patrick’s Day that I’ve curated for you! Here you go:
Irish Proverb #1
A drink proceeds a story.
-Irish Proverb
Get yourself a drink (water, wine, beer, whiskey, soda – your choice), pull up a comfy chair and I challenge you to read a few of these stories:
An Irish Blessing (or two)… – about my trip to Ireland
Any Way the Wind Blows – the series about the loss of our home in the wildfire and the rebuilding process
Call of the Whinny: Yet Another Story from the Farm – a children’s story about our visit to a pumpkin patch
Carole Hears a Whoo and (and Gets an Unexpected Shellacking) – a funny children’s story I wrote in honor of Dr. Seuss’ birthday
Lost in LA – about spending 12 hours with one of my New York nieces in LA
Operation Swallow Adios – a funny story about my attempt to discourage our swallow population
That’s enough stories…but, you can find many, many stories on this blog because I’m a storyteller at heart, full of blarney!
Irish Proverb #2
Seek always, for by looking for one thing you will surely find another.
But never look and you will never find anything.
-Celtic Proverb
Irish Proverb #3
Happiness and contentment is the road we travel, not the destination.
-Celtic Proverb
Irish Proverb #4
If you are lucky enough to be Irish, you’re lucky enough!
-Irish Proverb
I want to take a quick minute (I know, I know; I’m full of blarney because it’s never a “quick minute” with me!) to tell you that “luck of the Irish” connoted bad luck. That’s right – “may the luck of the Irish be with you” was meant to wish you bad luck. You can read about it here: The Luck of the Irish. So, now that I’ve shared that joyous tidbit with you, check out these charming Irish proverbs:
Irish Proverb #5
However long the day, it ends with night.
-Irish Proverb
Irish Proverb #6
A dimple on the chin, a devil within.
-Gaelic Proverb
Irish Proverb #7
It is afterward that events are understood.
-Irish Proverb
Irish Proverb #8
A ragged colt often makes a fine horse.
-Irish Proverb
The above photo beautiful colt reminds me of my trip to Ireland. We’d arrived late in the day at Aughnanure Castle in Ireland and the castle was closed. There was no one there but us. It was the time of the day known as “the gloaming” and the light was glowing thru the trees and meadows. And everything was still…
Then, a horse whinnied softly and we saw a beautiful white colt in the field surrounding the castle…magical! I whispered to my friend, Christin, my traveling companion in Ireland (Charlie did not want to go), that this horse was a unicorn. And, we’d better be on high alert, because who knows, there may be a blessing of unicorns nearby! I made up stories all the time on our trip to Ireland. Ireland is a place of magic and it bestows magical powers: storytelling, fairies, leprechauns, castles, unicorns…
Irish Proverb #9
There is not a way into the woods for which there is also not a way out of it.
-Irish Proverb
Irish Proverb #10
Every dog is bold at his own house door.
-Irish Proverb
Irish Proverb #11
A tune is more lasting than the song of birds.
And a word is more lasting than the wealth of the world.
-Old Irish Proverb
Irish Proverb #12
Neither make nor break a custom.
-Irish Proverb
Irish Proverb #13
Every tide has its ebb.
-Irish Proverb
Irish Proverb #14
You’ll never plow a field by turning it over in your mind.
-Irish Proverb
Irish Proverb #15
The truth from a liar is not to be believed!
-Irish Proverb
Irish Proverb #16
Your feet will bring you to where your heart is.
-Irish Proverb
Irish Proverb #17
The far off hills are the greenest.
-Irish Proverb
Proverbs are a part of all cultures. To find out more about this “genre of folklore,” check out this article from Wikipedia about Proverbs.
Love Ireland! And leprechauns…and unicorns…and fairies…and castles…and shamrocks…and Irish proverbs…and Ireland…
Tootles,
Other Posts from Toot Sweet 4 Two’s Archives:
Irish Eyes are Smiling – 17 Irish Sayings for St. Patrick’s Day
Eat, Drink, and Be Irish – 17 Irish Toasts for St. Patrick’s Day
17 Irish Blessings for St. Patrick’s Day
You Might Also Like:
Shamrock Pretzel Pops by Ana from Mommy’s Bundle
Paper Leprechaun Craft by Kim from The Best Ideas for Kids
12 Fun St. Patrick’s Day Drinks by Ashley from The Frugal Ginger
How interesting, I liked reading these a lot. Thanks for linking up to Sweet and Savoury Sunday, stop by and link up again. Have a great day!!
They are fun, aren’t they? Thanks for dropping by!
Irish Proverbs always bring a smile – love it! #SCBH2015
Me too. Some just crack me up! Thanks for stopping by!