The Top 50 Irish Words, As Voted By You!

Early in 2024, Let’s Learn Irish put an intriguing question to the online Irish language community – cén focal Gaeilge is fearr leatsa/What’s your favourite Irish word? 

Speaking about the launch of the project, Stiúthóir/Director of Let’s Learn Irish, Dr. Rónán Ó Conghaile, commented: “The Top 50 Irish Words survey was conducted in order to find out which Irish words we love to hear and say the most. We were inundated with responses…most people who have learned Irish can instantly recall a specific word or phrase that resonates with them”. The data were collated and revealed to the public through a series of daily social media posts throughout the month of July, known as #50Focal.

See below for the list of 50 winning words. We begin with Aisling, meaning ‘vision’, and run all the way to Ulcabhán, meaning ‘owl’. Read them, listen to them and say them out loud, and let us know in the Comments what words to include in our next list…