Cúpla Focal for Tourism Businesses

CÚPLA FOCAL FOR TOURISM BUSINESSES

A GUIDE TO THE IRISH LANGUAGE

DISCOVER INSIDE

Handy Irish phrases and sayings

Customisable social media assets

Actionable advice

Promoting the Irish language in your tourism business

In this guide, you’ll find actionable advice and downloadable assets to use on social media and in person to help promote Irish at key events throughout the year such as Seachtain na Gaeilge, St. Patrick’s Day, Halloween and more.

Incorporating Irish into your marketing strategy is a fantastic way to celebrate Ireland, utilise global interest in our national language and enhance the visitor experience.

Discover simple phrases or “cúpla focal” you can use in

everyday conversations with visitors, expressions to sign off your business emails “as Gaeilge” and customisable frames and copy to share on social media.

Lean ar aghaidh!

KEY DATES AND FESTIVALS TO USE IRISH THROUGHOUT THE YEAR

St. Brigid's Day/Lá Fhéile Bríde Feb

Seachtain na Gaeilge 1st - 17th Mar

St. Patrick’s Day/Lá Fhéile Pádraig 17th Mar

Easter/An Cháisc

Halloween/Oíche Shamhna 31st Oct

Christmas/An Nollaig 25th Dec

USEFUL IRISH PHRASES

Here are some basic phrases and sayings or “seanfhocail” in Irish that can be used in everyday conversation with visitors, included on signs at your premises and used to sign off your emails. Give visitors some key phrases they can use when visiting.

ENGLISH IRISH PRONUNCIATION

Hello (sg./pl.)

Dia duit/dhaoibh

Dee-uh gh(g)wit / yeev

Goodbye Slán Slawn

Welcome / A hundred thousand welcomes

How are you? (sg./pl.)

Lovely to meet you

Good morning

Fáilte / Céad míle fáilte FAWL-tih / kayd MEE-lih FAWL-tih

Conas atá tú / sibh?

KUN-us uh-TAW too / shiv?

Is deas bualadh leat / libh Iss dyas BOOAH-luh lat / liv

Dia dhuit / dhaoibh ar maidin Dee-uha gh(g)wit / yeev er MAH-din

Good afternoon/evening (sg./pl.) Tráthnóna maith dhuit / dhaoibh Traw-NO-nuh mah (similar to the word “maw” but shorter) gh(g)wit / yeev

Please (sg./pl.)

Le do thoil / Le bhur dtoil Leh duh hill / Leh voor dill

Thank you (sg./pl.) Go raibh maith agat / agaibh Guh ruh MAH (similar to the word “maw” but shorter) huh-gut / huh-gwiv

Cheers Sláinte SLAWN-tih

Fun and music Craic agus ceol Crack OG-us kyole

Have a safe trip (sg./pl.) Go dté tú / sibh slán Guh day too / shiv slawn

Take care (sg./pl.) Tabhair aire dhuit féin / Tugaigí aire dhaoibh féin

Take it easy (sg./pl.) Tóg bog é

Toor AH-rih gh(g)wit fayn / TUG-ih-gee AH-rih yeev fayn

Togue (rhyming with rogue) / TOE-gih-gee bug ay

Open Ar oscailt Er US-kilt

Closed Dúnta

DOON-tuh

Out of service As seirbhís Oss sheh-rih-VEESH

Free / It’s free (Saor) in aisce / Tá sé (saor) in aisce

(Sayr) in ASH-kih / Taw shay (sayr) in ASH-kih

OLD IRISH SAYINGS (SEANFHOCAIL)

ENGLISH IRISH PRONUNCIATION

May the road rise to meet you / May you succeed on your journey

Go n-éirí an bóthar leat / libh Guh NY-ree on BOW-hur lat / liv

There’s no place like home Níl aon tinteán mar do thinteán féin

Broken Irish is better than clever English

Is fearr Gaeilge bhriste ná Béarla cliste

Neel ayn teen-TAWN mor duh HEEN-tawn fayn

Iss fawr GWAYL-gih VRISH-tih naw BAYR-luh KLISH-tih

Health is better than wealth Is fearr an tsláinte ná na táinte Iss fawr un TLAWN-tih naw nuh TAWN-tih

The thing that is seldom is wonderful

An rud is annamh is iontach On rud iss ON-uv iss OON-tukh(k)

He who travels has stories to tell An té a bhíonn siúlach, bíonn scéalach

SIGN-OFF YOUR EMAIL AS GAEILGE

Kind regards

A thousand thanks

Yours sincerely

Best wishes

Best wishes

Le dea-mhéin

Míle buíochas

Is mise le meas

Le dea-ghuí

Beir bua

Uh tay veen SHOO-luhkh been SHKAY-luhkh

Top tips for promoting Irish on social media

Incorporate these tips into your social media strategy to help promote the Irish language and connect with visitors and online users in a unique way.

Create engaging visuals: Creating eye-catching visuals is a great way to grab people's attention on social media. You can download customisable frames for social media from Fáilte Ireland’s Marketing Toolbox to enhance your posts and stories.

Use relevant hashtags, tag suitable organisations and influencers: Tagging relevant accounts in your posts can help increase visibility and engagement. You can tag organisations like Conradh

POPULAR IRISH LANGUAGE HASHTAGS

#Gaeilge #SnaG23 (this updates every year), #SeachtainnaGaeilge, #StPatricksDay. You can also use Fáilte Ireland’s campaign hashtag #KeepDiscovering

ACCOUNTS TO FOLLOW AND TAG ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Seachtain na Gaeilge @snagaeilge

St. Patrick’s Festival @stpatricksfestival

Conradh na Gaeilge @cnagaeilge

Foras na Gaeilge @forasnagaeilge

na Gaeilge or Foras na Gaeilge, as well as influencers in the Irish language community.

Use Irish phrases in your social media posts: Incorporating Irish phrases into your social media

posts is a great way to promote the language and add an authentic touch to your content. You can download sample copy to use here.

supports.failteireland.ie

© FÁILTE IRELAND 2023