Our Favorite Irish Quotes and Sayings

We were admittedly a little bit of a St. Patrick’s Day downer earlier this month with our article on the consumerization of everybody’s favorite Irish holiday. But the truth is that we love St. Patrick’s Day and its festive spirit and the way it can bring communities together. So in honor of the essence of this holiday instead of the commercialization of it, we’re sharing our favorite Irish quotes and sayings, along with some thoughts on why we love them so.

“Here’s to a long life and a merry one. A quick death and an easy one. A pretty girl and an honest one. A cold pint and another one!”

This is one of our favorite Irish toasts because it captures the essence of the Satisfaction of Enough. You’ll notice nobody’s saying “Here’s to a new car and a bigger TV!” All of the things wrapped up in this joyous toast are about elements that bring real satisfaction to life: merriment, relationships and even a good, cold beer! We would just add to the quote “And a noble man, a wise one.”

“May you have the hindsight to know where you’ve been, the foresight to know where you are going, and the insight to know when you have gone too far.”

We love all of this, but it’s particularly the last element that appeals to us. Why? Because the essence of addictive consumerism is to instill the idea that there is no “too far” or “too much” – only “more, more, more.” We think the idea of having the insight to know when “more” is “too much” is a great idea, and we love the positivity of having it mentioned in a fun Irish toast.

“May you always have a clean shirt, a clear conscience, and enough coins in your pocket to buy a pint!”

Another Irish toast that we think captures the essence of postconsumerism! Again, you’ll notice that it doesn’t say, “May you never have coins in your pocket because you’re always buying more shirts.” You just need a clean one, a clear and healthy mind, and the money you need for a cool drink of your choice. That’s the Satisfaction of Enough.

“Where the tongue slips, it speaks the truth.”

We admit that this one appeals to us not because of its relationship to consumerism but because of the current state of politics and media. It’s so difficult to sort through what’s a talking point and what’s an actual fact, but the one time we’re generally confident is when we can tell that somebody said something they didn’t plan to say. We wish there were more tongue slipping in the world.

“A good laugh and a long sleep are the two best cures.”

This one, of course, we love as an antidote to the idea of “retail therapy.” Buying a new bag or shoes is never, ever going to cure what ails you. But finding ways to bring more laughter and peaceful sleep into your life certainly will. The Irish are wise on this one (and many other ones).

“The older the fiddle the sweeter the tune.”

We’re not just enamored with this because none of us are getting any younger (though don’t tell that to our inner spirits)! We also like it as a true juxtaposition to the idea that newer, bigger and upgraded is always better. Truly, in most cases, age has its benefits. Let go of the upgrade fascination and appreciate the aging process of people and “stuff.”

“If you buy what you don’t need you might have to sell what you do.”

We probably don’t need to say much to explain why we love this one. We’d even recommend that you write it on a piece of paper and put it on your refrigerator for a daily reminder.

“Forgetting a debt doesn’t mean it’s paid.”

Another one where we probably don’t have to type much to explain why we adore it. The American credit crisis taught people to just live like debt doesn’t exist. But debt always follows you, and more “stuff” isn’t in any way a good reason to put yourself in that position.

“May your heart be light and happy, may your smile be big and wide, and may your pockets always have a coin or two inside!”

We keep thinking that we’re going to run out of Irish quotes that focus on only needing a few coins because there are far more important things that will bring you the Satisfaction of Enough, but then we stumble upon another one! We may like this one the most because just referencing a big and wide smile makes us smile ourselves.

“You must take the little potato with the big potato.”

We admit it, we’re not actually entirely sure that we even know what this means. But we know that it features potatoes and that little potatoes are adorable. So we’re closing out our list with it!

There you have it! Despite the consumerization of St. Patrick’s Day, the essence of most of these Irish toasts is that the important things in life are far bigger than “stuff.” That’s the part of the holiday we hope that you embrace and celebrate – with or without green beer!

Have an Irish quote you’d like to share with us? Tell us about it on the social media channels below.

Photo Credit: Nathan Rupert via Flickr