How to write a letter in Irish (or an email)

This guide to writing letters and emails in Irish will start with the basics and then cover specific types of correspondence, including postcards, thank you cards, birthday cards, and wedding cards.

A complete example of a letter written in Irish is included at the end of the article.

How to start an email or a letter in Irish

The phrase “A chara” is the most-used opening in Irish letters. It literally means “O friend” (vocative form), but it functions like “Dear” in English and is used in both formal and informal messages.

If you don’t know the recipient’s name, just write “A chara”. If you know their name, write: “A [name in the vocative case], a chara,”

A is a vocative particle in Irish. Therefore, when placed in front of a name, it puts that name in the vocative case.

Here are the basics of the vocative case:

If the name is not Irish, putting the name in the vocative case often doesn't change the spelling, especially in informal use. The vocative particle (in this case, A) will simply go in front of the name. Technically, names starting with lenitable consonants (like B, C, D, F, G, M, P, S, T) could be lenited (e.g., Bill → A Bhill), but this is frequently omitted for non-Irish names, especially if the writer is less familiar with the grammar.

However, if the name is Irish, it will usually change in the vocative case:

(Reminder: Vowels and the combinations sc, sm, sp, st do not take a séimhiú. While n, l, and r often don't show lenition orthographically here, note the important rule for S: Masculine names starting with S are lenited (Seán → A Sheáin), but feminine names starting with S are not lenited (Sorcha → A Sorcha).)

So:

There is more nuance to the vocative case, but these rules cover the most common scenarios for writing letters in Irish.

If you find the vocative case rules challenging, or for very informal messages, you might see the vocative particle A omitted, with the name placed at the beginning followed by a comma – e.g. “Seán, a chara,”. While common informally, the grammatically standard way includes the particle A and the vocative changes: “A Sheáin, a chara,”.

Formal greetings in Irish

When writing a formal letter, there are a number of phrases that can be used as a greeting, such as:

Some other useful opening phrases

Some other useful phrases for the start of a letter or email in Irish:

There are also many Irish terms of endearment, which can be useful, depending on who you are writing to.

How to end a letter or email in Irish

Ending an informal letter or email

Before you sign off, you might like to add a closing sentence or two. Irish people are known for sometimes having extended goodbyes in person, so it can feel natural to add a bridge sentence before the final sign-off.

Below are some examples:

If the letter or email is to a friend or family member, sign off with one of the below friendly phrases:

(These last two might sound slightly formal translated literally, but they are common warm closings, similar to ‘Best wishes’.)

If you are writing to a partner or very close family member, you might like to add a more personal goodbye:

Signing off a standard or professional email

The most common sign-off for a standard or professional email in Irish is “Is mise, le meas,” or simply “Le meas,” - This means “Yours, respectfully” or just "Respectfully," and is used in professional or impersonal correspondence.

If you are asking for something in an email - perhaps from a colleague or a customer service agent - you could sign off with a ‘thank you’:

More informal email closings (suitable for colleagues you know well, etc.):

Ending a formal letter in Irish

Before ending a formal letter in Irish, you might use bridging phrases like:

This air of formality should extend to the closing remark. Below are common formal closings:

Specific types of Irish correspondence

How to write a postcard in Irish

When holidaying, you might wish to send a postcard (cárta poist) to family or friends. Having some specific phrases is useful.

To say where you are:

Táim ar saoire i/in __ - I am on holiday in __ (i before consonants, in before vowels)

While by no means an exhaustive list, here are some examples of countries in Irish:

Follow this by adding some of the below phrases:

How to write a thank you card in Irish

To write a simple ‘thank you’ (buíochas) in a card:

To thank someone for something specific (singular 'you' form shown):

How to write a birthday card in Irish

To say happy birthday (lá breithe sona) to someone in Irish:

"Seanfhocail" (proverbs) or blessings are common in Irish culture, and a birthday card is a nice place for one:

What do you write in an Irish wedding card?

Some useful phrases for an Irish wedding (bainis) card:

Irish letter example

Here is an example of a simple letter or email to a friend in Irish. In a physical letter, the sender's address and the date are typically placed at the top right.

___________ Baile Átha Cliath 12ú Nollaig 2023 A Sheáin, a chara, Conas atá tú? Tá brón orm nach scríobh mé chugat le fada. Tá mé an-ghnóthach le hobair faoi láthair. Caithfidh mé cur i láthair tábhachtach a dhéanamh an tseachtain seo chugainn agus tá mé an-neirbhíseach faoi! Conas atá cúrsaí le d’obair féin? Tá an aimsir go dona anseo i mBaile Átha Cliath. Tá sé ag cur báistí agus tá sé an-fhuar. Tá súil agam go bhfuil sí níos fearr i nGaillimh! Caithfidh mé imeacht anois. Scríobh ar ais chugam nuair a bheidh seans agat. Is mise, do chara, Áine ___________ Translation: Dublin 12th December 2023 Dear Seán, How are you? I’m sorry I haven’t written to you in a while. I’m really busy with work at the moment. I have to do an important presentation next week and I’m really nervous about it! How are things with your own job? The weather is terrible here in Dublin. It’s raining and it's really cold. I hope it’s better in Galway! I have to go now. Write back to me when you get a chance. Your friend, Áine ___________

While you will, of course, need more vocabulary to discuss hobbies, work/school details, family news, etc., this information should provide a solid foundation for starting and ending your letters and emails in Irish.

Keep these phrases handy for reference, and you are sure to impress Irish-speaking friends and family with your written communication skills. Good luck - Go n-éirí leat! (A common way to say 'Good luck!' or 'May you succeed!'. You might also see Go n-éirí an bóthar leat, which means 'May the road/journey be successful for you')

By Tríona Marshall
Tríona is a language lover from Ireland. When not practising one of her 3 languages, she can be found reading, researching her next trip, or trying out new restaurants in her home city, Dublin.