Is minic a bhris beál duine a shrón.
It is often that a person's mouth broke his nose.

Is minic a ghearr teanga duine a scornach.
It is often that a person's tongue cut his throat.

Déan an fál nó iocfaidh tú foghail.
Make the fence or you will pay the plundering.

An rud nach mbaineann duit ná bain dó.
Don't interfere with [any] thing
that doesn't concern you.

Ni théann cuileog san mbéal a bhíos dúnta.
A fly will not go into a mouth that is closed.

Más maith leat siocháin, cairdeas, agus moladh,
éist, feic, agus fan balbh.
If you wish for peace, friendship, and praise,
listen, look, and stay mute.

An té nach bhfuil láidir ní folair dó a bheith glic.
Whoever is not strong must be clever.

Fóireann spallaí do bhallaí
cómh maith le clocha móra.
Walls require spalls as well as large stones.

Bhí clog sa chill is níor bhinn clog é.
Ach tháinig clog eile 'on cill
is rinne clog binn den chlog san.
There was a bell in the church
and it wasn't very sweet sounding.
But another bell came to the church
and made a sweet bell of the first one.

Ná nocht d'fhiacla
go bhféadair an greim do bhreith.
Don't bare your teeth until you can bite.

Ná bris do loigrín ar stól nach bhfuil i do shlí.
Do not break your shin on a stool
that is not in your way.

Sláinte chuig na fir agus go maire na mná go deo!
Health to the men and may the women live forever!

Dia linn is deoch is ní ráibh mé riamh bocht.
God with us and a drink, and may I never be poor.

Go ndeine an diabhal dréimire de cnámh
do dhroma ag piocadh úll i ngairdín Ifrinn.
May the devil make a ladder of your backbone [and]
pluck apples in the garden of hell.

Go bhfága Dia do shláinte agat.
May God spare you your health.

Ní bhíonn an rath, ach mara mbíonn an smacht.
There is no prosperity unless there is discipline.

Ní neart go cur le chéile.
There is no strength without unity.

Chíonn beirt rud nach bhfeiceann duine amháin.
Two people see a thing that an individual does not see.

Is é do mhac do mhac inniú,
ach is í d'iníon d'iníon go deo.
Your son is your son today,
but your daughter is your daughter forever.

Níl aon tinteán mar do thinteán féin.
There's no hearth like your own hearth.

Níl aon tóin tinn mar do thóin tinn féin.
There's no sore ass like your own sore ass.

Bíonn caora dhubh ar an tréad is gile.
There tends to be a black sheep (even) in the whitest flock.

An mháthair leis an mac
agus an iníon leis an athair.
The mother (sides) with the son,
and the daughter with the father.

Mol an páiste agus molann tú an mháthair.
Praise the child and you praise the mother.

Is fearr beagán den ghaol
ná mórán den charthanas.
A little kinship is better than a lot of charity.

Is folamh fuar é teach gan bean.
A house without a woman is empty [and] cold.

Is minic ubh bhán ag cearc dhubh.
A black hen often has a white egg.

A chomhairle féin do mhac árann
's ní bhfuair sé ariamh níos measa.
It does not get worse than a dear son
that pleases himself.

Maireann na daoine ar scáil a chéile.
The people live in one another's shadows.

Castar na daoine ar a chéile,
ach ní chastar na cnoic (ná na sléibhte).
The people encounter one another,
but the hills never meet (nor the mountains).

Giorraíonn beirt bóthar.
Two people shorten a road.

Aithnítear cara i gcruatán.
A friend is known in hardship.

Is maith an scáthán súil charad.
A friend's eye is a good mirror.

Sileann do chara agus do namhaid
nach bhfaighidh tú bás choíce.
[Both] your friend and your enemy
think you will never die.

Is í an eorna nua tú a fheiciáil.
Seeing you is like seeing the new (season's) barley.

Lá Nollaig go péacach
is Lá Féile na Stiofáin ag iarraidh déirce.
A showy Christmas Day
and begging on the Feast of St. Stephen.

Níl aon leigheas ar an ngrá ach pósadh.
There is no cure for love but marriage.
(The only cure for love is marriage.).

Is geal leis an bhfiach dubh a ghearrcach féin.
The raven thinks its own nestling fair.

Folíonn grá gráin.
Love veils ugliness.

Ní féasta go rósta, 'is ní céasta go pósta.
There is no feast like a roast, and no torment like a marriage.

Ná gabh bean gan locht.
Do not take a wife without fault.

Is maith an bhean í
ach níor bhain sí a broga di go foill.
She is a good wife,
but she has not taken off her shoes yet.

Nuair a thiocas an bás ní imeoidh sé folamh.
When death will come, he won't go away empty.

Bíonn an bás ar aghaidh an tseanduine
agus ar chúl duine óig.
Death is facing the old (person)
and behind the young (person).

Is iomaí lá sa chill orainn.
We are in the Churchyard (grave) many a day.

Bíonn súil le muir ach ní bhíonn súil le tír.
There is hope from the sea, but
there is no hope from the land (grave).

Nollag ghlas, reilig mhéith.
A green Christmas, a fat graveyard.

Ní bhíonn tréan buan.
Strength is not enduring.

Is fearr an tsláinte ná na táinte.
Health is better than wealth.

An té a bhíonn breoite, ní bhíonn feoil air.
The person who is ailing, there does not tend to be meat on him.

Neantóg a dhóigh mé, copóg a leigheas mé.
A nettle burns (stings) me. Dock will cure me.

'Sé leigheas na póite ól arís.
It is the cure of a hangover (to) drink again.

Sláinte chuig na fir agus go maire na mná go deo!
Health to the men and may the women live forever!

Is mairg a bhíonns go holc
agus a bhíonns go bocht ina dhiadh.
Woe to the one who is always very ill
and poor because of it.

Maireann croí éadrom a bhfad.
A light heart lives a long time.

Is iomaí cor sa tsaol.
There is many a twist in life.

Castar na daoine ar a chéile,
ach ní chastar na cnoic (ná na sléibhte).
The people encounter one another,
but the hills never meet (nor the mountains).

Ní fhanann trá le fear mall.
An ebb(tide) does not wait for a slow man.

Is maith an scéalaí an aimsir.
Time is a good storyteller.

Is ait an mac an saol.
Life is strange.
[Such is life].

Is búaine clú ná saol.
Fame is more enduring than life.

Níl sa saol ach gaoth agus toit.
In life there is only wind and smoke.

Luigh leis an uan, agus éirigh leis an éan.
Lie with the lamb, and rise with the bird.

Fearthain don lao agus grian don tsearrach;
uisce don gé agus déirc don bhacach.
Rain to the calf and sun to the foal;
water to the goose and alms to the beggar(man).

Is maith sú bó, beo nó marbh.
The juice of the cow is good, alive or dead.

Is iad ná muca ciúine a itheas an mhin.
It is the quiet pigs that eat the meal.

Má bhuaileann tú mo mhadra
buailfidh tú mé féin.
If you hit my dog, [then] you hit me.

Bíonn adharca fada ar na ba i gcéin.
Long horns are [always] on the cows abroad.

Is maith an capall a tharraingíos a charr féin.
It is a good horse that pulls its own cart.

Má labhríonn an chuach ar chrann gan duiliúr
díol do bhó agus ceannaigh arbhar.
If the cuckoo calls from a tree without leaves,
sell your cow and buy corn.

Chomh glic le sionnach.
As clever as a fox.

Ní fearr bia ná ciall.
Food is not better than sense.

Nuair a bhíonn an fíon istigh,
bíonn an ciall amuigh.
When the wine is in(side), the sense is out(side).

'Sé leigheas na póite ól arís.
It is the cure of a hangover (to) drink again.

Déanann tart tart.
Thirst makes (for) thirst.

Is maith sú bó, beo nó marbh.
The juice of the cow is good, alive or dead.

Is maith an t-anlann an t-ocras.
Hunger is a good sauce.

Ní cheileann meisce rún.
Drunkenness hides no secret[s].

Cibé cé olfhas 's é Domhnall a íocfhas.
Whoever will drink, 'tis Domhnall will pay.

Is túisce deoch ná scéal.
A drink comes before a story.

Is fearr leath builín ná bheith gan arán.
Half a loaf is better than to be without bread.

Is minic a lean maidin bhrónach oíche shúgach.
'Tis many a sad morning followed a merry night.

Marbh le tae agus marbh gan é.
Dead with tea and dead without it.

Is iomaí cor sa tsaol.
There is many a twist in life.

Ní huasal ná íseal
ach thuas seal agus thíos seal.
It is not upper class or lower class,
but up a while and down awhile.

Súil le cúiteamh a mhilleas an cearrbhac.
Hoping to recoup ruins the gambler.

Tuar maith don athbhlianin
na píobairí teallaigh a chloisteáil Lá Nollaig.
It is a good omen for the coming year
to hear crickets on Christmas Day.

Is maith an athbhliain a dtig
Nollaig i dTús gealaí.
The year is good when Christmas comes
during the first phase of the moon.

An té atá thuas óltar deoch air.
An té atá thíos buailtear cos air.
The one who succeeds is toasted.
The one who fails is kicked.

Neantóg a dhóigh mé, copóg a leigheas mé.
A nettle burns (stings) me. Dock will cure me.

Fearthain don lao agus grian don tsearrach;
uisce don gé agus déirc don bhacach.
Rain to the calf and sun to the foal;
water to the goose and alms to the beggar(man).

Is fearr an tsláinte ná na táinte.
Health is better than wealth.

Ní baol don bhacach an gadaí.
The thief is no threat to the beggar(man).

Gheibheann pingin pingin eile.
A penny gets another penny.

Déanann sparán trom croí éadrom.
A heavy purse makes (for) a light heart.

Déanann seilbh sásamh.
Possession makes (for) satisfaction.

Is buaine focal ná toice an tsaoil.
A word is more enduring than worldy wealth.

Ná comhair do chuid sicíní
sula dtagann siad amach.
Don't count your chickens before they are hatched.

Niorbh a fhiú a dhath ariamh
a bhfuarthas in aisgidh.
Nothing free is ever appreciated.

• Personal Qualities / Types of People
• The Bigger World