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Irish Blessings
page Six

This was inspired by a comment from the O'Doud family who suggested that with so many beautiful Irish blessings in existence, we could probably post a different one each day. The O'Doud's, bless them, are so right - we've found a wealth of blessings.
We'd like to invite readers to send us their favorites and we'll list those, too.
Previous Blessings page



A Blessing for Lovers
May the blessing of light be with you always,
light without and light within,
and may the sun shine upon you and warm your heart,
until it grows like a great fire so that others may feel
the warmth of your love for one another.
Forget Me Not by Kim Anderson from All Posters

Bless the lintel, and bless the wall,
May God send His blessings over all;
Bless the hearth and the light it sheds,
Bless the pillow for weary heads.
Those who tarry here, let them know
A threefold blessing before they go:
Sleep for the weary, peace for sorrow
Faith in yesterday and tomorrow.
Those who go from here, let them carry
The blessing of hope wherever they tarry.
Lintel and window, sill and wall,
Nothing but good this place befall.
Edited and adapted from an old traditional blessing

May you and yours be blessed with the gifts God loved most and which He bestowed upon St. Ita, "the white sun of the women of Munster": true faith with a pure heart, charity and love for all, and a simple, spiritual life.
Image: Orthodox England

A mother's prayer
for God's blessing
on her children

O Thou, to whom to love and be are one,
hear my faith-cry for them who are more
thine than mine.
Give each of them what is best for each.
I cannot tell what it is.
But Thou knowest.
I only ask Thou love them and keep them
With the loving and keeping Thou didst
Show to Mary's Son and Thine.

Throughout the coming year
May your home be warmed
by God's presence,
And may your family
be blessed by His love.

Happy Christmas to you and yours
at this special time of year,
And may you enjoy this Irish blessing
full of gladness, hope and cheer!
Edited from a card by Keara

May your hearth be warm, your holidays grand
And your heart held gently in the Good Lord's Hand.



May the blessing of light be upon you,
Light on the outside, Light on the inside.
With God's sunlight shining on you,
May your heart glow with warmth,
Like a turf fire that welcomes friends and strangers alike.
May the light of the Lord shine from your eyes,
Like a candle in the window,
Welcoming the weary traveller.
May the blessing of God's soft rain be on you,
Falling gently on your head, refreshing your soul
With the sweetness of litte flowers newly blooming.
May the strength of the winds of Heaven bless you,
Carrying the rain to wash your spirit clean
Sparkling after in the sunlight.
May the blessing of God's earth be on you,
And as you walk the roads,
May you always have a kind word for those you meet.
May you understand the strength and power of God.
In a thunderstorm in Winter, And the quiet beauty of creation,
In the calm of a Summer sunset, And may you come to realize,
that, insignificant as you may seem in this great Universe,
You are an important part of God's plan.
May he watch over you and keep you safe from harm.
Words and Music By Phil Coulter, narration by Roma Downey
To listen, please click: Blessing.
To purchase the CD or listen to samples of other tracks, please click Healing Angel.


Graces & Blessings Before a Feast
May the blessing of the five loaves and the two fishes which God divided among the five thousand be ours; and may the King who made the division put luck in our food and in our portion.

Bless, O Lord, this food we are about to eat; and we pray You, O God, that it may be good for our body and soul; and if there be any poor creature hungry or thirsty walking along the road, send them into us that we can share the food with them, just as You share your gifts with us.

May this food restore our strength, giving new energy to tired limbs, new thoughts to weary minds. May this drink restore our souls, giving new vision to dry spirits, new warmth to cold hearts. And once refreshed, may we give new pleasure to You, who gives us all.

The grace of God and the favor of St. Patrick on all that we see and all that we do. The blessing that God put on the five loaves and the two fishes, may He put on this food.

And a blessing for after:
That the roll call this day twelve months may find us all present and none absent.




Blessing for
Irish Soldiers
God bless and keep
who fought and lived.
God bless and keep
who died. For where
and when the Irish fight
Our God is by our side.
Photo Credit: Nato Peace-Keeping Force



The Homecoming.
May the spirits of peace
and tranquility call
To reside in your home
Every room, every wall.
May four Angels protect eaves
North South East and West.
May God's spirit of love
Reassure you are blessed.
May each guest you receive feel
They've answered your call
May you dwell in their presence
To welcome them all.
Contributed by Veronica O'Neill Cresse

Blessing for Samhain
The Wheel of the Year turns
and with it comes celebration,
for this is a time of welcoming
Samhain, the end of summer
and the beginning of winter;
a time when we ask God to
bless us with a healing of
the land, plentiful water,
health, happiness, and
peace overall

An Irish Blessing for Hallowe'en
At all Hallow's Tide, may God keep you safe
From goblin and pooka and black-hearted stranger,
From harm of the water and hurt of the fire,
From thorns of the bramble, from all other danger,
From Will O' The Wisp haunting the mire;
From stumbles and tumbles
and tricksters to vex you,
May God in His mercy, this week protect you.
Maureen McCabe

Bless This House
Bless this house O Lord we pray; Make it safe by night and day;
Bless these walls so firm and stout, Keeping want and trouble out:
Bless the roof and chimneys tall, Let thy peace lie over all;
Bless this door, that it may prove ever open to joy and love.

Bless these windows shining bright, Letting in God's heav'nly light;
Bless the hearth a'blazing there, with smoke ascending like a prayer;
Bless the folk who dwell within, keep them pure and free from sin;
Bless us all that we may be Fit O Lord to dwell with thee;
Bless us all that one day we May dwell O Lord with thee.

Helen Taylor, a poet, wrote the original words and titled it "Bless The House." Her friend, Mary Brahe, composed stirring, devotional music to accompany the lyrics. A few years after its publication, the song caught the attention of John McCormack who immediately recognized its potential greatness, changed the title to "Bless This House," made some minor revisions in the lyrics and included the song as a highlight of his repertoire. It became one of his best selling recordings.

Old Irish Prayer
Alone with none but thee, my God,
I journey on my way.
What need I fear,
when thou art near
O king of night and day?
More safe am I within thy hand
Than if a host did round me stand.
St. Columba

In Time of Sorrow
May you see God's light on the path ahead
When the road you walk is dark.
May you always hear,
Even in your hour of sorrow,
The gentle singing of the lark.
When times are hard may hardness
Not turn your heart to stone,
And may you always remember
You do not walk alone.

Ag Críost an Síol - To Christ the Seed
Ag Críost an síol, ag Críost an fómhar;
in iothlainn Dé go dtugtar sinn.
Ag Críost an mhuir, ag Críost an t-iasc;
líonta Dé go gcastar sinn.

Ó fhás go haois, ó aois go bás,
do dhá láimh, a Chríost, anall tharainn.
Ó bhás go críoch nach críoch ach athfhás,
i bParthas na ngrás go rabhaimid.

To Christ the seed, to Christ the crop,
in barn of Christ may we be brought.
To Christ the sea, to Christ the fish,
in nets of Christ may we be caught.

From growth to age, from age to death,
Thy two arms here, O Christ, about us.
From death to end, not end but growth,
in blessed Paradise may we be.
Translated by Thomas Kinsella

May God grant you
the strength and faith
to count your blessings,
not your your crosses;
count your gains
not your losses.
Count your joys
not your woes;
Count your friends
not your foes.
Count your smiles
not your tears;
Count your courage
not your fears.
Count your full years
not your lean;
Count your kind deeds
not your mean.
Count your health
not your wealth;
And love your neighbour
as much as yourself.

Our Lady of Knock,
Queen of Ireland,
Pray for me now,
Our Lady of Knock,
Pray for us all.
Golden Rose,
Queen of Ireland
All our cares and
troubles cease
As we kneel with
love before you
Lady of Knock,
Our Queen of Peace"
Edited and adapted
from the hymn Our Lady of Knock
by Dana

You are the peace of all things calm,
You are the place to hide from harm.
You are the light that shines in dark,
You are the heart's eternal spark.
You are the door that's open wide,
You are the guest who waits inside.
You are the light, the truth, the way,
You are my Saviour this very day.
Celtic blessing from the 1st millennium

Reek Sunday Blessing
As he brought new faith to Ireland
So may He bring to you,
A touch of Irish happiness
In everything you do;
And like the good Saint Patrick
May your home and life be blessed
With all God’s special favours,
Good health and peaceful rest

Blessing for the Soul's Release
You go home this night to your home of winter, to your home of autumn, of spring and of summer;
You go home this night to your lasting home, to your eternal bed, to your eternal sleeping.
Sleep, oh sleep in the quiet of quietness,
Sleep, oh sleep in the way of guidance,
Sleep, oh sleep in the love of all loving.
Traditional Irish blessing, edited from a translation by Caitlin Matthews.

Blessing for the Bereaved
May Our Lady, who with a mother's love wipes away our tears and makes all manner of things well, intercede on behalf of those who are suffering the pain of loss. May God heal their grief, strengthen their faith and grant that their loved one rests in peace with Him for all eternity.
Edited and adapted from a Prayer for the Bereaved by Fr. Andrew M. Greeley

May your days be gold in the rays of the sun;
May your nights be silver in the light of the moon;
May Jesus welcome you when life is done;
But, God willing, may it not be soon;
May breezes brush soft against your face;
May shamrocks and roses line your way;
May you be bathed in God's bounteous grace;
And may you be given or whatever you pray.
Edited and adapted from a Blessing for Friends by Andrew
M. Greeley

Blessing for the 4th of July
While the red flame of sunset
warms each of you
And snow white clouds
point to heaven's door
May you be wrapped in Mary's
mantle blue and your land
be free for evermore
May God grant you long years of life
And liberty to serve each other's needs
May happiness chase all foolish strife
May you seek His spirit in each word and deed.
Edited and adapted from a blessing by Fr. Greeley

Blessing for a new-born
May the nourishment of the earth be yours;
May the clarity of the light be yours;
May the fluency of the ocean be yours;
May the protection of the ancestors be yours,
And may you be buried in a casket made from the
wood of a century old oak I shall plant tomorrow.
Photo Credit: Boy-Girl-Names

Father's Day Blessing
May the Father of us all
bless our oul' fellas,
wherever they might be,
at home in dear old Ireland,
or across the shining sea.
In heaven with the angels
or on earth still with us,
may God be good to the
dear old dad,
the one we love so much.
Photo Credit & Caption: Irish Corner - A Youngster getting valuable tips from Football Star, Maurice Fitzgerald, Co. Kerry

May gentle St. Kevin intercede
on your behalf and ask God
to grant you a simple life
filled with the music of nature,
the song of the birds,
a breeze through the trees, and
the lap of a wave on the shore.

Memorial Day Blessing
God willing He'll keep them
who died fighting in war
God willing their memory
won't stray from us far.

God willing He'll bless them
who still fight the good fights
God willing He'll bring
them safe home to our hearts.

Safe Journey, Safe Home
Blessing of a Guardian Angel
May your Being of Brightness,
Your Friend of Light,
Gently encircle you,
Sweetly enclose you
Guard your soul
By day and night.
Keep you from anguish
keep you from danger
Encircle your voyage over the seas;
Be a guarding star above you
Illuminate each rock and tide;
Guide your ship across the waters
To the waveless harborside.
Edited and adapted from The Little Book of Celtic Blessings
compiled by Caitlin Matthews
Photo Credit: Travel Bug

A Blessing for the nearness of God
As the sheep to the shepherd
As the branch to the vine
As the flower to the stem
As the bride to her groom

As the fish to the water
As the bird to the air
As the star to the sky
As the sun to the moon

As the plant to its seed
As the grass to the dew
As a babe to its mother
May God be near you.
Edited and adapted from A Book of Irish American Blessings & Prayers by Andrew M. Greeley

Mother's Day Blessing
Tis the month of Mary,
Blessed Queen of the May,
Mother of God we pray to you,
Bless and protect all mothers
on this their special day.

May Mary's month explode with life
Flesh and fleece, fur and feather,
Grass, trees and flowers together;
And make our world a paradise
Wrapped in a kaleidoscope of color
And may God in heaven bless this
Season of hope,
Mary's Month,
The earth's rebirth.
Edited and adapted from a blessing by Andrew M. Greeley
Photo Credit: Irish Corner/Keewi Photography

May you enjoy the four greatest blessings:
Honest work to occupy you
A hearty appetite to sustain you
A good woman to love you
And a wink from Himself above

Wedding Blessing
May the road rise up to meet you both
On each and every morn.
May the rains fall soft upon your fields
Of waving yellow corn.
May the wind be always at your back
And the sun's warmth on your face.
And until we meet again my friends,
God keep you in his grace.

May the grains of sand upon the shore
Number all your days.
May the love of God in darkest times
Enlighten all your ways.
May the pipes forever be your soul
And the bodhran beat your heart.
And the jigs and reels your ups and downs
Till life's ceile you depart.

May the rest of life be the best of life
And no one do you wrong.
May children's laughter be your music
Their growing be your song.
And when the time says you must part
As time will always do
May God go with you both my friends
And this blessing stay with you.
Written by by Frank Lennon & reprinted with the kind permission of Vivian & Jack Hennessey

May the prayers of Mary, bright "Sun of the Irish race," help all Irish homes to be like the holy house of Nazareth. From them may all Christians go forth, as Jesus did from Nazareth. May they go forth in the power of the Spirit to continue Christ's work and to follow in His footsteps towards the end of the millennium, into the 21st century.
Dia agus Muire libh!
May God and Mary be with you and with the families of Ireland, always!
Edited and adapted from Pope John Paul II’s homily at the Mass in Limerick on October 1, 1979.

When Irish eyes are smiling
and Irish smiles are wide,
When Irish hearts are happy
and the piper plays a slide,
when Irish stew is bubbling
and the soda bread is hot
and the Irish tea is steeping in
a little irish pot,
When the room is warm with laughter
and the songs are bright and bold
and there's poetry and magic
in the stories that are told,
Isn't it a blessing,
isn't it just grand
to know the heart and soul
of you belongs to ireland?


Previous Blessings page

This is the last page of Blessings - sorry.

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