17 Best Irish Blessings for Love

When it comes to blessings of love, the land of the saints and scholars has always been very vocal in expressing its emotions.

Irish love blessings convey the warmth, authenticity and hospitality that the Irish are world famous for.

Are you looking for classic Irish blessings for love? Is there a sweet Irish love blessing for that someone special? Or a short wedding blessing about love for the happy couple? 

Then look no further!

This collection of blessings are the best love blessings from Ireland that I have found as part of my research on this topic.

They are heartfelt greetings that can be shared with those you love and cherish from your family, friends and lovers.  

Make sure to remember these special words for your Valentine! (Do you know that St. Valentine has a connection with Dublin?!)

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What is an Irish blessing for love?

May love and laughter brighten your days
And warm your hearth and home.

Some of the best Irish blessings are the shortest.

This thoughtful blessing is rich in sentiment and imagery and wishes your loved one the very best for their whole life. 

What is the Irish blessing for people you love?

May your joys be as bright as the morning,
And your sorrows merely be shadows
That fade in the sunlight of love.

Life can radiate with joy and happiness so brightly that the hardships no longer seem so prominent. This is a beautiful wish for those we love and care about. 

What is an Irish blessing for lovers?

When the roaring flames of your love
Have burned down to embers,
May you find that you’ve married your best friend.

This blessing highlights the physical, as well as deeper connections between lovers. It is a beautiful reminder to cherish the people we love for who they really are. 

What is the best Irish love blessing for friends?

Lucky stars above you,
Sunshine on your way,
Many friends to love you,
Joy in work and play.

It can sometimes be difficult to find the right words to share our love and gratitude among our friends. 

This charming blessing sums up goodwill wishes of friendship in a very nice way.

Bonus Friendship Blessings:

Here are some more blessings steeped in love and happiness that are perfect to add to greeting cards and messages for friends.

May you know nothing but happiness
From this day forward.

May the lilt of Irish laughter lighten every load.
May the mist of Irish magic shorten every road.

May the blessed sunlight shine on you
And warm your heart
Till it glows like a great peat fire.

Discover more blessings that your friends will enjoy and cherish in our Irish Friendship Blessings article.

What is the classic Irish blessing for love?

May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be 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 palm of His hand.

The traditional Irish Blessing for love is the Irish Blessing or May the Road Rise to meet You. 

It is a simple blessing wishing your loved one well on their journey in life.

There is a wish for protection and to encounter good fortune along the way.

It is particularly apt when it is shared at the beginning of a new chapter in one’s life, such as a longer trip or even as a final farewell. 

Including this blessing in the wedding ceremony has become one of the well liked Irish wedding traditions. 

What is the sweetest Irish blessing for love?

We cannot share this sorrow
If we haven’t grieved a while.
Nor can we feel another’s joy
Until we’ve learned to smile.

This sweet blessing reminds us that those you love are there through the good times, as well as the bad.

Shared experiences greatly enhance the bonds of love between people. This makes life beautiful! 

What is the Irish blessing for everlasting love?

Death leaves a heartache no one can heal,
Love leaves a memory no one can steal.

Even in death, the bonds of love can continue. 

The concept of everlasting love is strongly woven into Irish culture. 

Celtic knot patterns are designed in such a way that there is no starting or endpoint.

In this article you can discover a lot more about the different types and meanings of the Celtic knots.

There is also the very famous Claddagh heart design. 

This shows a pair of hands holding a heart with a crown and represents love (heart), loyalty (crown) and friendship (hands).

The Claddagh design meaning and its fascinating history are explored in our Claddagh Ring Origin and Meaning article.

What is an Irish blessing for a couple getting married?

May you look back fifty years from now
And agree that today was the worst
Day of your married life.

A loving Irish blessing for the future of the happy couple is a wonderful way to mark the start of their new life together. 

Traditional Irish weddings often include lots of blessings, as well wishes for the future health, happiness and prosperity of the married couple.

There are plenty of other unique Irish wedding blessings that will make your greeting particularly memorable.

Discover dozens more thoughtful wedding wishes in this article. 

What is an Irish wedding blessing?

By the power that Christ brought from heaven,
Mayst thou love me.
As the sun follows its course,
Mayst thou follow me.
As light to the eye,
As bread to the hungry,
As joy to the heart,
May thy presence be with me,
Oh one that I love,
Til death comes to part us asunder.

The exact origins of this blessing are not clear, but it is frequently attributed to being of Irish origins. 

I personally haven’t heard it recited at any wedding ceremony, but if you are looking for a religious blessing, this one fits nicely. 

What is a short wedding blessing in Irish?

Go raibh an ghaoth go brách ag do chúl,
Go lonraí an ghrian go te ar d’aghaidh,
Go dtite an bháisteach go mín ar do pháirceanna,
Agus go mbuailimid le chéile arís,
Go gcoinní Dia i mbos A láimhe thú.

This is the translation of the Irish Blessing (May the Road Rise to Meet You).

This is one of the most well loved Irish blessings and is the perfect addition to any wedding. 

It celebrates the beginning of a new chapter in life and wishes the pair well on one of the happiest days of their lives.

Bonus Tip: 

Wedding planning can definitely be a challenge. 

To make life a little easier, check out some of our articles on blessings for weddings and short Irish Blessings. These can give you ideas for:

• Wedding vows
• Wedding readings
• Irish wedding poems
• Short Irish wedding toasts 
• Irish sayings for speeches at the reception

What is an Irish toast about love?

May the good Lord take a liking to you, 
But not too soon.

This is a traditional Irish toast which wishes you good health and a long life. You can share it with those who you hold dear in your life. 

Irish love blessing FAQ

What is the Irish word for love?

The Irish word for love is a ghrá (pronounced: uh-GHRAH).

Many people want to know how to say “I love you” in the Irish language.

It is good to know that this is not a simple translation.

There are several terms of endearment that can be used instead.

How to say “my love” in Irish?

Mo ghrá is the direct translation of “my love” in Irish.

This can be combined in some endearments such as “a ghrá geal” meaning “bright love” or “A chuisle mo chroí” meaning “pulse of my heart”.

You are my love can be translated as “is tú mo ghrá”. For sweethearts, you could say “Is tú mo stór“, which means “you are my treasure”. 

What do Irish people call their lovers?

Mo Rúnsearc (pronounced: mo ROON-shark) is a passionate way to say my secret love in the Irish language.

There are also several other Irish endearments ranging on the scale from romantic to passionate.

As translations of endearments from English are not typically direct, it is important to get the meaning and context correct. 

Irish Blessings

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.

May the raindrops fall lightly on your brow
May the soft winds freshen your spirit
May the sunshine brighten your heart
May the burdens of the day rest lightly upon you
And may God enfold you in the mantle of His love.

May your troubles be less
And your blessings be more.
And nothing but happiness
Come through your door.

There are many beautiful Irish blessings so you are bound to find one that will suit your particular need or occasion.

Did you enjoy this article? Perhaps you are interested in other Irish blessings to mark special occasions such Christmas, New Year or Thanksgiving?

There are also blessings for events in life like birthday celebrations, as well as blessings for new babies and moving house. 

Don’t forget that there are also plenty of short Irish blessings and funny Irish blessings to add a little humor. 

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• James Joyce Quotes
• Irish Travel Blessings
• Irish Farewell Blessings