“May the road rise to meet you…” is probably the quintessential Irish wedding blessing. Life is a journey, and a wedding is the start of a couple’s journey together.
This poem wishes the new couple good fortune in their future endeavors.
May the road Rise to meet you…
May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back,
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields,
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the hollow of His hand.
Irish Translation
Go n-eiri an bothar leat,
Go raibh an ghaoth go brach ag do chul,
Go lonrai an ghrian go te ar d’aghaidh,
Go dtite an bhaisteach go min ar do phairceanna,
Agus go mbuailimid le cheile aris,
Go gcoinni Dia i mbos A laimhe thu.
If you’ve ever been to Ireland, you know why this blessing is so powerful… When walking Irish hills, having the wind at your back and the sun on your face truly is a great blessing.
More Popular Irish Blessings
Though that toast is the most famous, there are many more Irish blessings and toasts to say at a wedding. Many evoke popular Irish iconography such as the shamrock, and rainbows.
A Rhyming Irish Blessing
Wishing you a rainbow
For sunlight after showers,
Miles and miles of Irish smiles
For golden happy hours,
Shamrocks at your doorway
For luck and laughter too,
And a host of friends that never ends
Each day your whole life through!
Here is a blessing wishing that the newly wed always have work to do, and money in their pockets.
A Blessing for Work
May there always be work for your hands to do.
May your purse always hold a coin or two.
May the sun always shine warm on your windowpane.
May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain.
May the hand of a friend always be near you.
And may God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.
Prayer for Health
Health and a long life to you.
Land without rent to you.
A child every year to you.
And if you can’t go to heaven,
may you at least die in Ireland.
A Bit of Irish Luck
May your day be touched
By a bit of Irish luck,
Brightened by a song in your heart,
And warmed by the smiles
of the people you love.
Health and Long Life
Health and long life to you,
land without rent to you,
a child every year to you,
and death in Old Ireland.
A Good Roof
May the roof above you never fall in,
And those gathered beneath it never fall out.
and…
May the roof over your heads be as well thatched
As those inside are well matched.
Do you know a good Irish wedding blessing or prayer? Post it below, and we’ll add it to the site. Thanks for visiting!
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