If you’re looking for Irish blessings for friends (and toasts, too!) you’ll find plenty below.
Irish friendship blessings tend to come in several forms and there’s generally an Irish blessing or toast to suit every situation.
If you’re after a blessing that includes a bit of humour or one that’s more formal, you’ll find everything you need below.
What to know before using any Irish blessings for friends
So, before flicking down to the funny Irish friendship blessings below, it’s important to get some warnings out of the way that you need to be aware of:
1. Most articles online are nonsense
There’s thousands of ‘guides’ online that claim to be packed with 101 Irish friendship blessings. The thing is, the majority are in now way Irish/in no way linked to Ireland, so keep that in mind.
2. Sense check beforehand
Now, only you know the relationship you have with the friend in question. However, it’s worth keeping in mind that many Irish blessings for friends are packed with Irish slang words and Irish insults (just incase the friend is easily offended!).
3. Blessings vs jokes
A lot of people confuse Irish jokes with Irish blessings. The two differ greatly. The former are suitable for casual occasions. The later tend to be more suitable for formal occasions.
Our favourite Irish friendship blessings
Photos via Dan and Molly’s on FB
Right – let’s get straight into it. Below, you’ll find a mix of funny and meaningful Irish sayings for family and friends.
Each is unique in its own right and all but one or two are nice and short and therefore easy to memorise.
1. To security
Throughout its past, Ireland has endured and overcome numerous challenges. This is akin to many friendships.
This is a short toast that wishes the listener safety and security while also hoping that the friendship lasts.
“May the roof above us never fall in,
And those gathered beneath it never fall out.”
2. An iconic friendship blessing
Few Irish sayings for family and friends have stood the test of time like ‘May the road rise to meet you‘.
This is one of very few Irish friendship blessings that’ll likely spark a bit of nostalgia in the listener.
“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.”
3. A toast to pleasant vices
This is one of our favourite Irish friendship blessings and it’s one that’s taking from our guide to Irish drinking toasts.
There aren’t many funny Irish blessings, but this one has a nice bit of lightheartedness to it.
“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.”
4. A more formal toast
If you’re not interested in Irish friendship blessings that contain much humour, this one is worth considering.
It’s shirt, easy to read off and the final line tends to get people thinking.
“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.”
5. For the person of few words
Some of the finest Irish sayings for family and friends are grand and short. This is the case with this next one.
It’s arguably more suitable for the likes of a birthday card but it can be easily used at the end of an Irish wedding toast.
“May you live as long as you want
And never want as long as you live”.
6. A dollop of humour
Our next Irish friendship blessing is nice and lighthearted and very easy to rhyme off without much practice
“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.'”
7. May all your friends remember
Next is arguably one of the more familiar Irish blessings for friends and the first line tends to flick right off the tongue with ease.
It has a bit more meaning than some of the others above, too!
“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!”
Related read: See our guide to 18 beautiful Irish wedding blessings to add to your ceremony
8. To health
If you’re looking for funny Irish friendship blessings, this next one is likely to tickle your fancy.
Arguably best used by friends that often share a drink together, this one tends to appear in many guides to Irish birthday blessings.
“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!”
9. A fine toast
This is one of the more popular Irish blessings for friends that’s used to get people standing and toasting a particular person.
It’s nice and short and it sounds great when read aloud. It’ll also prompt people to stand!
“My dear friends, they’re the best friends,
each is loyal, trust-worthy and able.
But now it’s time for drinking,
so lift all of your glasses off the table!”
10. Wealth
And last but by no means least is a blessing that wishes the listener wealth and good fortune!
“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!”
FAQs about Irish sayings for family and friends
We’ve had a lot of questions over the years asking about everything from ‘What are some funny Irish sayings for family?’ to ‘What blessings are good for a best mans speech?’.
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 a short Irish blessing for family?
One of our favourite Irish sayings for family is: “May the roof above us never fall in, And those gathered beneath it never fall out.”
What is a good Irish friendship blessing?
This is one of the shorter Irish blessings for friends: “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!”
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.