21 Irish Toasts That Always Go Down A Treat

The best Irish toasts are short, easy to recite, packed with wit, and leave a lasting impression, long after the glasses have clinked.

But finding the right one isn’t always easy. Whether you’re toasting newlyweds at a wedding, friends at the pub, or good health at a family gathering, you want words that feel natural, not forced.

Below, you’ll find some of the finest ways to deliver an Irish cheers, with a toast for every occasion.

The best Irish toasts

Traditional Irish toasts fall into several categories:

• Funny Irish toasts
• Short Irish cheers sayings for those not found of the limelight
• Irish drinking toasts
• Irish wedding toasts

1. A toast for good luck

“May you be poor in misfortune, Rich in Irish blessings, Slow to make enemies, And fast to make friends!”

This toast use contrasts to emphasise its meaning. A wedding staple, it wishes a life filled with wealth and happiness, free from hardship.

2. A toast to your health

“I drink to your health when I’m with you, I drink to your health when I’m alone, I drink to your health so often, I’m starting to worry about my own!”

Drinking to the health of those around you is always a good choice. Just be sure not to overdo it, lest your own suffers…

3. Avery famous Irish toast

“May the road rise to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face. And rains fall soft upon your fields.

And until we meet again, May God hold you in the hollow of His hand.”

This is an old Irish toast that you can use to bid farewell to a good friend at the end of a gathering, and it is a wish for good tidings and protection.

4. This one’s on me

“May the winds of fortune sail you, May you sail a gentle sea. May it always be the other guy Who says, ‘this drink’s on me.”

This toast is a celebration of those good people who aren’t shy about getting a round in!

5. A toast of wisdom

“May you have the hindsight to know where you’ve been, The foresight to know where you are going, And the insight to know when you have gone too far.”

Some see this as an odd wedding choice—perhaps a nod from skeptical parents—but it can also be an Irish cheers to the wisdom that comes with time.

6. A toast to a life well-lived

“May the lilt of Irish laughter, Lighten every load. May the mist of Irish magic, Shorten every road. And may all your friends remember, All the favours you are owed!”

This is a slightly funny Irish toast that wishes a life well-lived. A popular choice for its Irish charm, with nods to magic, mist, and laughter.

Related read: Read my guide to 21 of the most unique and unusual Irish wedding traditions

7. A toast to pleasant vices

“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.

If you fight, may you fight for a brother. And if you drink, may you drink with me.”

A great Irish drinking toast, whether for lifelong friends or those you’ve just met a few pints ago.

8. Toast of gratitude

“Always remember to forget, The troubles that passed away. But never forget to remember, The blessings that come each day.”

This is a short and simple traditional Irish toast toast that observes the unending cycle of bad times leading to good.

9. A toast for good friends

“May your glass be ever full. May the roof over your head be always strong. And may you be in heaven half an hour before the devil knows you’re dead.”

Next up is a short and sweet Irish wedding toast that can be shared between good friends and wishes for safety and prosperity in this life and the next.

10. A short Irish cheers

“May you live as long as you want. And never want as long as you live”.

Some of the best Irish toasts are short and pack a punch. This is a simple wish for a good life, lived to the fullest.

Related read: See our guide to 18 beautiful Irish wedding blessings to add to your ceremony

11. A toast for happiness

“May your heart be light and happy, May your smile be big and wide, And may your pockets always have, A coin or two inside!”

Short and simple, this toast celebrates happiness and the things that truly matter.

12. A toast of gratitude

This is another version of the gratitude toast above (number 2). It uses slightly more simplified language while keeping the essence more or less the same.

13. The luck of the Irish

“May the luck of the Irish, Lead to happiest heights. And the highway you travel, Be lined with green lights.

Wherever you go and whatever you do, May the luck of the Irish be there with you.”

While the term ‘the Luck of the Irish‘ has reasonably offensive origins, it’s use here is more than acceptable. Like most Irish wedding toasts, this one wishes good luck and happiness to the bride and groom.

14. A pot of gold

“May you have all the happiness, And luck that life can hold. And at the end of all your rainbows, May you find a pot of gold.”

Next is a short Irish toast for luck, rich in Irish symbols and often raised to the bride and groom.

15. A twisted toast

“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”.

This is a light-hearted toast that wishes for popularity, and if that’s not possible, at least an easy way to tell who your enemies are!

16. One toast to rule them all

This favourite often surfaces at that perfect moment before the night tips into drunkenness.

17. A toast to friendship and security

“May the roof above us never fall in, And those gathered beneath it never fall out.”

Ireland has been through a lot in its long history, but like humans around the world, what most of us really want is a safe place and good company. This toast captures the sentiment perfectly and in just two short lines.

18. A toast to Ireland

“Here’s to the land of the shamrock so green, Here’s to each lad and his darlin’ colleen, Here’s to the ones we love dearest and most. May god bless old Ireland, that’s this Irishman’s toast!”

A simple and short Irish toast for any proud Irishman or woman who’s been touched by the romance of a wedding.

Related reads: See our guides to funny Irish sayings, Gaelic phrases, the best Irish jokes  old Irish proverbs

19. A toast to a sweet cailín

“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.”

This one might come out as a bit of a soppy Irish love toast, but it has a nice sentiment and a good dollop of humour. Or, you might say it in honour of the woman in your life while you’re out drinking with friends.

20. St. Patrick’s Day toast

This one’s a little bit of a mouthful, but you might come across it during St Patrick’s day celebrations.

“St 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”.

21. A toast to true love

This is a cheeky short Irish toast, typically said to a loved one. If you’re feeling brave, you might try it on an anniversary or valentine’s day!

“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.”

Etiquette advice for giving Irish toasts and blessings

Etiquette plays an important part when delivering new or traditional Irish toasts.

Even the very best Irish toasts can go down badly if they’re not delivered at the right moment.

1. Don’t believe everything you see online

It’s easy to read something online that sounds ‘quintessentially Irish’. At least 50% of the online guides to ‘Delivering Irish cheers’, as they call them, contain funny Irish toasts that are in fact in no way Irish.

2. Funny vs offensive

So, you think you’ve found a funny Irish toast that’s packed with Irish slang words and you can’t wait to try it out… Unfortunately, while there are plenty of genuine and funny Irish drinking toasts online, there’s also a lot of stuff bordering on offensive. If in doubt always leave it out.

3. Know your audience

The right toast can go down well in the right company. Before making one, regardless of whether it’s a St Patrick’s Day toast or otherwise, be clear about 1, the contents of the toast and 2, how appropriate it is for your audience. Some of the toasts below, for example, would be very inappropriate for a wedding.