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Seanfhocail

  • “ Rud ar bith leis an ocras a mhaolú, mar a dúirt an damhán alla agus é ag ithe na míoltóige. ”
    Anything to lessen the hunger, as the spider said while eating the gnat.
  • “ Dá fheabhas é an t-ól, is é an tart a dheireadh. ”
    However good the drink is, the end of it is thirst.
  • “ Trí ghalar gan náire: grá, tochas agus tart. ”
    Three diseases without shame: love, an itch and thirst.
  • “ Mura gcuirfidh tú san earrach ní bhainfidh tú san fhómhar. ”
    If you don't sow in spring you won't reap in autumn
  • “ Ní thagann caonach ar chloch reatha. ”
    A rolling stone gathers no moss.
  • “ Cuir gach rud ar an mhéar fhada agus beidh an mhéar fhada róghairid ar ball. ”
    Put everything on the long finger (i.e. postpone it) and the long finger will be too short in time; if you postpone everything you will run out of time.
  • “ An rud a thig thar dhroim an diabhail, imíonn sé faoina bholg. ”
    What is got over the devil’s back, it goes under his belly; ill-gotten gains are spent in evil ways.
  • “ Is treise an dúchas ná an oiliúint. ”
    Heredity is stronger than nurture.
  • “ Bíonn ceann caol ar an óige. ”
    Youth has a thin head; you can’t put an old head on young shoulders.
  • “ Ní dhéanfadh an saol capall rása d’asal. ”
    The whole world couldn’t make a racehorse out of a donkey.
  • “ Is trom an t-ualach an leisce. ”
    Laziness is a heavy burden.
  • “ Ní scéal rúin é más fios do thriúr é. ”
    It’s not a secret if three people know it.
  • “ Ní huaisle mac rí ná a chuid. ”
    A prince is no nobler than what he does; nobility counts for nothing if the person does not have a noble nature.
  • “ Is é an dias is troime is ísle a chromann a ceann. ”
    The heaviest ear of corn is the one which bows its head lowest; really talented people are usually modest.
  • “ Níl tuile dá mhéad nach dtránn. ”
    There is no flood which doesn’t dry up sometime.
  • “ An té a bhíonn thíos buailtear cos air. ”
    People kick you when you're down.
  • “ Ná glac duine choíche ar a thuairisc fhéin. ”
    Never accept a person’s account of themselves; don’t take people at face value.
  • “ Bíonn siúlach scéalach. ”
    People who travel have lots of stories to tell.
  • “ Is ait an mac an saol. ”
    Life is strange.
  • “ Nuair a bhíonn an bolg lán is maith leis na cnámha síneadh. ”
    When the belly’s full the bones like to stretch; when you’ve had a good meal you like to relax.
  • “ Is túisce deoch ná scéal. ”
    A drink precedes a story; when someone comes to your house, you should offer them a drink first.
  • “ Ní hé lá na báistí lá na bpáistí. ”
    The rainy day is not the day for children.
  • “ Is fearr lúbadh ná briseadh. ”
    It’s better to bend than to break; flexibility is important.
  • “ Ní dheachaigh dóbair in abar riamh ach is minic a bádh b’fhéidir. ”
    Almost never got into difficulty but it’s often perhaps was drowned; don’t make a big thing of danger when it’s passed.
  • “ Ní théann dlí ar an riachtanas. ”
    No law applies to necessity; necessity knows no law.

  • “ Is beag an rud is buaine ná an duine. ”
    Even small things are more long-lasting than a person.
  • “ Is fearr réchonn ná iarchonn. ”
    Foresight is better than hindsight.
  • “ Is folamh, fuar teach gan bhean. ”
    A house without a woman is empty and cold.
  • “ Ní neart go cur le chéile. ”
    There is no strength without co-operation; unity is strength.
  • “ Ná beannaigh don diabhal go mbeannaí sé duit. ”
    Don’t greet the devil until he greets you, don’t go looking for trouble.
  • “ Anáil na beatha an t-athrú. ”
    Change is the breath of life; a change is as good as a rest.
  • “ Ní lia tír ná nós. ”
    Countries are not more numerous than customs; when in Rome.
  • “ Ní buan cogadh na gcarad; má bhíonn sé crua, ní bhíonn sé fada. ”
    A war between friends doesn’t last; however fierce it is, it tends not to be long.
  • “ Is mias é an díoltas is fearr a ithe fuar. ”
    Revenge is a dish best eaten cold.
  • “ Cailín ag Mór agus Mór ag iarraidh déirce. ”
    Big has a maid and yet Big is asking for charity; refers to people who live beyond their means.
  • “ Bíonn cluasa fada ar mhuca beaga. ”
    Little pigs have long ears; not in front of the children.
  • “ Filleann an feall ar an fheallaire. ”
    The evil deed returns on the person who did it, what goes around comes around.
  • “ Is minic ciúin ciontach. ”
    Silence often indicates guilt.
  • “ Mol gort is ná mol geamhar. ”
    Praise the fully-grown crop and not the stubble, don’t count your chickens.
  • “ Sceitheann fíon fírinne. ”
    Wine gives away the truth; people tell the truth when they are drunk.

  • “ Is socair a chodlaíonn duine ar chneá duine eile. ”
    It’s easy for a person to sleep on another man’s wound; people only really feel what affects them directly.
  • “ Cuir breac san eangach sula gcuire tú sa phota é. ”
    Put a trout in the net before you put it in the pot; “first catch your hare”.
  • “ Mac an tsaoir ábhar an tuata. ”
    Son of the mason, makings of a non-craftsman; a craftsman’s son may grow up not knowing his father’s skills.
  • “ Is fusa rud a rá ná a dhéanamh. ”
    It’s easier to say something than do it.
  • “ Is leor ó Mhór a dícheall. ”
    Her best is enough from Mór; a person can only do their best.
  • “ Aithníonn ciaróg ciaróg eile. ”
    A beetle recognises another beetle; takes one to know one.
  • “ Is maith leis an chat iasc ach ní maith leis a chrúba a fhliuchadh. ”
    The cat likes fish but he doesn’t like to get his paws wet.
  • “ Téann íseal agus uasal chuig tórramh ”
    Both poor and rich attend funerals; everybody has to die, regardless of social status.
  • “ Is maith an capall a tharraingíonn a chairt féin. ”
    It’s a good horse that pulls its own cart; independence is a good quality.
  • “ Luigh leis an uan agus éirigh leis an éan. ”
    Go to sleep with the lamb and rise with the bird; early to bed and early to rise.
  • “ Bíonn dhá insint ar scéal agus dhá leagan déag ar amhrán. ”
    There are two versions of every story and twelve versions of every song. (There are always two sides to every story).
  • “ Ní chronaítear an t-uisce go dtriomaítear an tobar. ”
    The water isn’t missed until the well dries up.
  • “ Is cuma le fear na mbróg cá gcuireann sé a chos. ”
    The man with shoes doesn’t care where he treads.
  • “ An té a thabharfadh scéal chugat tabharfaidh sé dhá scéal uait. ”
    The person who brings a story to you will bring two stories away from you; one story leads to another.
  • “ Is onórai poll ná paiste. ”
    A hole is more honourable than a patch.
  • “ An té a bhfuil ainm an mhochóirí air, thig leis codladh go meán lae. ”
    If a person has a reputation as an early riser, they can sleep until midday.
  • “ Éire ar phingin agus cá bhfuil an phingin? ”
    Ireland for a penny and where’s the penny? So near and yet so far.
  • “ Múineann gá seift. ”
    Need teaches a plan, necessity is the mother of invention.
  • “ Is fearr an mhaith atá ná an dá mhaith a bhí. ”
    Better the good thing that is than two good things that were; it’s no good talking about how great things were in the old days.
  • “ Ní sheasann sac folamh. ”
    An empty sack won't stand.
  • “ Is binn béal ina thost. ”
    A silent mouth sounds sweet; silence is golden.
  • “ Is minic a ghearr duine slat a bhuail a dhroim féin. ”
    A man often cut a stick which beat his own back.
  • “ Is samhradh gach síon go dtí an Nollaig. ”
    All weathers are like summer until Christmas, the really cold weather of the winter comes after Christmas.
  • “ Is fearr glas ná amhras. ”
    A lock is better than doubt, better safe than sorry.
  • “ Ní haithne go haontíos. ”
    You don’t get to really know someone until you live with them.
  • “ Bíonn cluasa ar na claíocha. ”
    Fences have ears; walls have ears.
  • “ An rud nach féidir ní féidir é. ”
    What can’t be done can’t be done.
  • “ Is fearr bheith as an saol ar fad ná as an fhaisean. ”
    Better out of the world entirely than out of fashion; you have to stay in fashion.
  • “ Tógfaidh dath dubh ach ní thógfaidh dubh dath. ”
    A coloured cloth will take a black dye but a black cloth will not take a coloured dye; it’s easier to blacken someone’s reputation than to restore it.
  • “ Níl luibh ná leigheas in aghaidh an bháis. ”
    There is no herb or medicine against death.
  • “ Ní hé lá na gaoithe lá na scolb. ”
    A windy day is not the day for thatching.
  • “ Is fearr mac le himirt ná mac le hól. ”
    Better a son a gambler than a son a drinker; drinking is more destructive than gambling.
  • “ Ag an duine féin is fearr a fhios cá luíonn an bhróg air. ”
    A person knows best where the shoe pinches him.
  • “ Bailíonn brobh beart. ”
    A lot of rushes make up a bundle, every little helps.
  • “ Briseann an dúchas trí chrúba an chait. ”
    The true nature of the cat shows in the way it uses its claws.
  • “ An rud a scríobhann an púca, léann sé féin é. ”
    What the pooka writes, the pooka can read; the person who created it can understand it.
  • “ Is iomaí cor a chuireann maidin earraigh di féin. ”
    A spring morning goes through many changes; the spring weather is unsettled.
  • “ Is fearr éan sa dorn ná beirt sa tom. ”
    Better a bird in the hand than two in the bush.
  • “ Is minic cuma aingil ar an diabhal féin. ”
    The devil himself often looks like an angel.
  • “ Ní dhéanfaidh an chaint an obair. ”
    Talk won’t do the work.
  • “ Is fearr uaigneas fada ná droch-chuideachta. ”
    Better to be lonely for a long time than in bad company.
  • “ Is olc an t-éan a shalaíonn a nead féin. ”
    It’s a bad bird that soils its own nest.
  • “ Is namhaid an cheird gan í a fhoghlaim. ”
    The craft is an enemy when not learned; there is no point in learning a trade unless you learn it properly.
  • “ Is furasta le neamhfhonn leithscéal a fháil. ”
    It’s easy for those who are unwilling to find an excuse (not to do something).
  • “ Ina dhiaidh a thuigtear gach beart. ”
    It is easy to be wise after the event.
  • “ Is maith an t-iománaí an duine ar an chloí. ”
    The man on the ditch is a great hurler; it’s easy to give advice but not so easy to do things.
  • “ Beidh Lá eile ag an bPaorach. ”
    Power will have another day. (Said by Edmund Power of Dungarvan on the scaffold as he was about to be hanged for his part in the 1798 uprising).
  • “ Is fearr réal inniu ná scilling amárach. ”
    A sixpence today is better than a shilling tomorrow.
  • “ Nuair is crua don chailleach, caithfidh sí rith. ”
    When the old woman is hard pressed, she has to run; people can do amazing things when they need to.
  • “ Is maith an t-anlann an t-ocras. ”
    Hunger is a good sauce.
  • “ Is fearr bheith ar lorg bia ná ar lorg goile. ”
    It is better to be looking for food than looking for an appetite.
  • “ Dhá dtrian den damhsa an chosúlacht. ”
    Two thirds of dancing is making it look right.
  • “ Ní bhíonn saoi gan locht ná daoi gan tréith. ”
    A wise person always has faults and a fool always has talents; even Homer nods.
  • “ Súil le cúiteamh a mhilleann an cearrbhach. ”
    Hope of recompense is what destroys the gambler, throwing good money after bad.
  • “ Ní thig leis an ghobadán an dá thrá a fhreastal. ”
    The sandpiper cannot serve two strands, you can’t do two things at once.
  • “ Is maol gualainn gan bhráthair. ”
    A shoulder is bare without a companion’s hand; people need friends.
  • “ An rud is annamh is iontach. ”
    The rare thing is the most amazing; man bites dog.
  • “ Is maith an scéalaí an aimsir. ”
    Time is a good storyteller.
  • “ Bíonn gach tús lag. ”
    Every beginning is weak.
  • “ An té a bhíonn ag magadh, bíonn a leath faoi féin. ”
    When a person mocks other people, half of the mockery is towards himself.

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