The Irish Blessing is a well-known toast often attributed to St. Patrick, but its author is unknown. Traditional Irish blessings for weddings and other events exist, as do curses and toasts. Many are anonymous and can be used without attribution.
Irish blessing tends to refer to a specific blessing that can be used in a toast at weddings or gatherings. However, this blessing is simply the best known. It goes as follows:
May the road rise to meet you.
May you always have the wind at your back.
May the sun shine warm on your face.
And the rains fall softly on your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the hollow of his hand.
This Irish blessing is often attributed to St. Patrick, but this is probably a confusion between it and a much longer prayer called “St. Patrick’s Breastplate”. The author is unknown and even dating the Blessing is difficult.
While this Irish blessing is quite common in countries where the Irish have immigrated, there are more traditional blessings for weddings, wakes, and other ceremonial events. Many of the blessings represent wishes for abundant agricultural rewards, healthy children, and closeness with God.
These many blessings are generally so beautifully worded that people are often surprised by the various Irish curses. Of the curses, the following is the best known:
May those who love us, love us.
And those who don’t love us,
May God transform their hearts,
And if it doesn’t transform their hearts,
May he twist his ankles,
So we might know them by their limp.
The origin of this curse is as unknown as that of the more common Irish blessing. It can be said however that the Irish are known for their ability to turn a word into a good profit for both good and bad.
Irish toasts are also numerous and tend to be less serious, representing the celebration of all things good and fun. A famous one is a toast to wives and girlfriends, “May they never meet.” However, other toasts may represent the long struggle with the British for control of the land, wanting “rent-free land for you”.
Since the Irish Blessing, or blessings, curses and toasts are often of anonymous origin, they can generally be used without requiring reference to a source. There are some attributed to authors that may not be in the public domain. The best known, however, are remembered more for the smiles they put on people’s faces than for their authors.
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