St. Patrick's Day Toasts and Blessings

Friends at a pub in Dublin Ireland
Getty Images/Oktay Ortakcioglu

Ireland enjoys a long-standing history of pithy phrases, powerful prayers, and wise or witty words from the lips and pens of famous saints, writers, and pub crawlers. Here are a few favorite Irish toasts so that your words will be well-equipped to toast a special day or bless a sacred event. Sláinte!

  • "May your pockets be heavy and your heart be light, may good luck pursue you each morning and night."
  • "May the roof above us never fall in, and may we friends gathered below never fall out."
  • "A trout in the pot is better than a salmon in the sea."
  • "As you slide down the banister of life, may the splinters never point in the wrong direction."
  • "A friend's eye is a good mirror."
  • "May you live as long as you want, and never want as long as you live."
  • "He who loses money, loses much; He who loses a friend, loses more; He who loses faith, loses all."
  • "May the Lord keep you in His hand and never close His fist too tight."
  • "May your neighbors respect you, trouble neglect you, the angels protect you, and heaven accept you."
  • "May the sound of happy music, and the lilt of Irish laughter, fill your heart with gladness, that stays forever after."
  • "May the hinges of our friendship never grow rusty. And our ale never turn musty."
  • "St. Patrick's Day is an enchanted timea day to begin transforming winter's dreams into summer's magic."
  • "Maybe it's bred in the bone, but the sound of pipes is a little bit of heaven to some of us." (Nancy O'Keefe)
  • "There is no language like the Irish for soothing and quieting." (John Millington Synge)
  • "May you have a world of wishes at your command. God and his angels close to hand. Friends and family their love to impart, and Irish blessings deep in your heart!"
  • "May the Irish hills caress you. May her lakes and rivers bless you. May the luck of the Irish enfold you. May the blessings of Saint Patrick behold you."
  • "May you have warm words on a cold evening, a full moon on a dark night, and the road downhill all the way to your door."
  • "May your blessings outnumber the Shamrocks that grow, and may trouble avoid you wherever you go."

When Irish Eyes Are Smiling

When Irish eyes are smiling

Sure it's like a morning spring.

In the lilt of Irish laughter,

You can hear the angels sing.

When Irish hearts are happy,

All the world seems bright and gay.

And when Irish eyes are smiling,

Sure, they steal your heart away.

 

Irish Blessings

May the road rise up to meet you,

may the wind be always at your back,

May the sun shine warm upon your face,

and the rain fall soft upon your fields,

and until we meet again,

May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

 

May You Enjoy the Four Greatest Blessings

Honest work to occupy you.

A hearty appetite to sustain you.

A good woman to love you.

And a wink from the God above.

May you live a long life, full of gladness and health. With a pocket full of gold, as the least of your wealth.

May the dreams you hold dearest, be those which come true. The kindness you spread, keep returning to you.

May the friendships you make, be those which endure; and all of your grey clouds, be small ones for sure.

And trusting in Him, to Whom we all pray; May a song fill your heart, every step of the way.

 

May the Lord Bless You

May the LORD bless you and keep you;

May the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you;

May the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace. (Numbers 6:24-26)

 

Ode to the Shamrock

There's a dear little plant that grows in our isle,

'Twas St. Patrick himself, sure, that sets it;

And the sun of his labor with pleasure did smile,

And with dew from his eye often wet it.

It grows through the bog, through the brake, through the mireland,

And they call it the dear little Shamrock of Ireland.

 

St. Patrick's Breastplate Prayer

I bind unto myself today

The strong Name of the Trinity,

By invocation of the same

The Three in One and One in Three.

 

I bind this today to me forever

By power of faith, Christ’s incarnation;

His baptism in Jordan river,

His death on Cross for my salvation;

His bursting from the spicèd tomb,

His riding up the heavenly way,

His coming at the day of doom

I bind unto myself today.

 

I bind unto myself the power

Of the great love of cherubim;

The sweet ‘Well done’ in judgment hour,

The service of the seraphim,

Confessors’ faith, Apostles’ word,

The Patriarchs’ prayers, the prophets’ scrolls,

All good deeds done unto the Lord

And purity of virgin souls.

 

I bind unto myself today

The virtues of the star lit heaven,

The glorious sun’s life giving ray,

The whiteness of the moon at even,

The flashing of the lightning free,

The whirling wind’s tempestuous shocks,

The stable earth, the deep salt sea

Around the old eternal rocks.

 

I bind unto myself today

The power of God to hold and lead,

His eye to watch, His might to stay,

His ear to hearken to my need.

The wisdom of my God to teach,

His hand to guide, His shield to ward;

The word of God to give me speech,

His heavenly host to be my guard.

 

Against the demon snares of sin,

The vice that gives temptation force,

The natural lusts that war within,

The hostile men that mar my course;

Or few or many, far or nigh,

In every place and in all hours,

Against their fierce hostility

I bind to me these holy powers.

 

Against all Satan’s spells and wiles,

Against false words of heresy,

Against the knowledge that defiles,

Against the heart’s idolatry,

Against the wizard’s evil craft,

Against the death wound and the burning,

The choking wave, the poisoned shaft,

Protect me, Christ, till Thy returning.

 

Christ be with me, Christ within me,

Christ behind me, Christ before me,

Christ beside me, Christ to win me,

Christ to comfort and restore me.

Christ beneath me, Christ above me,

Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,

Christ in hearts of all that love me,

Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.

 

I bind unto myself the Name,

The strong Name of the Trinity,

By invocation of the same,

The Three in One and One in Three.

By Whom all nature hath creation,

Eternal Father, Spirit, Word:

Praise to the Lord of my salvation,

Salvation is of Christ the Lord.

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Slinkard, Stacy. "St. Patrick's Day Toasts and Blessings." Learn Religions, Aug. 2, 2021, learnreligions.com/irish-toasts-and-blessings-3510970. Slinkard, Stacy. (2021, August 2). St. Patrick's Day Toasts and Blessings. Retrieved from https://www.learnreligions.com/irish-toasts-and-blessings-3510970 Slinkard, Stacy. "St. Patrick's Day Toasts and Blessings." Learn Religions. https://www.learnreligions.com/irish-toasts-and-blessings-3510970 (accessed March 19, 2024).