There’s a wide variety of Irish baby blessings out there.
As is the case with many Irish blessings, they tend to range from traditional and formal to lighthearted.
However, the one thing each has in common is the theme of love and well wishes to the newborn and the new parents.
Below, you’ll find some very popular Irish blessings for sons and daughters. Dive on in!
Our favourite Irish baby blessings
Photos via Shutterstock
Before we get to the various Irish blessings for new parents, we’d like to wish all of you welcoming a newborn into the world well wishes.
Regardless of whether its your own baby, a grandchild, a Godchild or anything in between, congratulations and good luck! Right – it’s time for the Irish baby blessings!
1. Lucky stars
Many of the most popular Irish baby blessings revolve around a central theme of ‘luck’, and this one follows that same approach.
Packed with imagery from beginning to end, it wishes the newborn a life filled with joy, laughter and a carefree existence.
“Lucky stars above you, Sunshine on your way,
Many friends to love you, Joy in work and play.
Laughter to outweigh each care, In your heart a song,
And gladness waiting everywhere, All your whole life long.”
2. Rich in blessings
Next is one of the shorter Irish blessings for a new baby and it’s steeped in meaning.
This verse uses opposites to get its message across and this approach hooks the listener/reader from beginning to end.
“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.”
3. Never-ending love
Next is another of the more lighthearted Irish baby blessings and its rhyming scheme is nice and catchy.
It wishes the newborn never-ending love along with friends, health and money, too.
“May you have love that never ends,
lots of money, and lots of friends.
Health be yours, whatever you do,
and may God send many blessings to you”.
Related reads: See our guides to beautiful Irish boys names and Irish girls names
4. May the road rise
This is the lengthier version of one of the most popular Irish prayers, ‘May the road rise to meet you’.
One of the reasons that this is one of the more popular Irish baby blessings is due to the sense of nostalgia and recognition it instils in the reader/listener.
“May the raindrops fall lightly on your brow, May the soft winds freshen your spirit.
May the sunshine brighten your heart, May the burdens of the day rest lightly upon you.
And may God enfold you in the mantle of His love.”
5. Shamrocks and happiness
Although you’d imagine that many Irish baby blessings would mention shamrocks, the vast majority of them don’t (thankfully!).
However, this one brings one of the most iconic Irish symbols right to the forefront of its verse to create one of the more impactful Irish blessings for new parents.
“For each petal on the shamrock,
This brings a wish your way,
Good health, good luck, and happiness,
For today and every day.”
6. Sunbeams and angels
Many of the more popular Irish blessings for new babies boast beautiful imagery intertwined into their verses.
In the verse above, there’s a mix of traditions (both Pagan and Christian), grounded by blessings of laughter and friendship (see more Irish friendship blessings).
“May God grant you always a sunbeam to warm you, a moonbeam to charm you,
a sheltering angel so nothing can harm you.
Laughter to cheer you, faithful friends near you.
And whenever you pray, Heaven to hear you.”
7. Green lights and the happiest heights
You’ll have seen ‘luck’ mentioned in many of the Irish blessings for sons and daughters above.
And, while the origin of the term ‘the Luck of the Irish‘ is a negative one, it’s nice and apt here.
“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.”
8. God’s protection
Another Irish newborn blessing, this is a lovely little prayer that’ll arguably work best in a print out that’s framed or within a card.
However, you could also use it as a toast, it you liked!
“May the Grace of God’s protection,
And His great love abide,
Within your home and within the hearts,
Of all who dwell inside.”
9. May your smile be big and wide
The next of our Irish blessings for a new baby is lovely and short, perfect for someone of few words.
This wishes the newborn happiness and roads off with a nice lighthearted mention of prosperity.
“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!”
10. Lilt of laughter
If you’re looking for a less formal Irish newborn blessing, the one above should be nice and suitable.
It’s mention of the ‘lilt of Irish laughter’ adds a dash of ‘Irishness’ to the verse without going over the top.
“May your heart be warm and happy
With the lilt of Irish laughter
Every day in every way
And forever and ever after.”
11. All the luck that life can hold
We’re going to round off our Irish blessings for a new baby for a verse that packs a punch.
The mention of rainbows and pots of gold make this nice and lighthearted with plenty of nods to Ireland.
“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.”
What Irish blessings for new parents have we missed?
I’ve no doubt that we’ve unintentionally left out some brilliant Irish blessings for sons and daughters from the guide above.
If you have any Irish baby blessings that you’d like to recommend, let me know in the comments below and I’ll check it out!
Or, hop into our guide to Irish sayings, Gaelic phrases, Irish proverbs and Irish toasts!
FAQs about Irish blessings for a new baby
We’ve had a lot of questions over the years asking about everything from ‘What’s a good Irish blessing for a son?’ to ‘What’s a nice old blessing?’.
In the section below, we’ve popped in the most FAQs that we’ve received. If you have a question that we haven’t tackled, ask away in the comments section below.
What is an Irish blessing for a new baby?
There are many, however, our favourite is: “Lucky stars above you, Sunshine on your way, Many friends to love you, Joy in work and play. Laughter to outweigh each care, In your heart a song, And gladness waiting everywhere, All your whole life long.”
What is the Irish toast for babies?
One of the more popular Irish toasts for babies is: “May your heart be warm and happy, With the lilt of Irish laughter. Every day in every way, And forever and ever after.”
What are the blessings for Irish christening?
There are many options. Here is one of our favourites: “May the Grace of God’s protection, And His great love abide, Within your home and within the hearts, Of all who dwell inside.”
Keith O’Hara has lived in Ireland for 35 years and has spent most of the last 10 creating what is now The Irish Road Trip guide. Over the years, the website has published thousands of meticulously researched Ireland travel guides, welcoming 30 million+ visitors along the way. In 2022, the Irish Road Trip team published the world’s largest collection of Irish Road Trip itineraries. Keith lives in Dublin with his dog Toby and finds writing in the 3rd person minus craic altogether.