Contrary to what some people might think, Irish is not similar to English. However, because both languages base their alphabets on Latin letters, it is not difficult for English-speakers to read Irish. Pronounce "a" as the "a" in "father," "e" as in "hey," "i" as in "knee," "o" as in "woe" and "u" as in "shoe." The consonants are pronounced largely as they are in English.
You can do this activity with a partner. Learn to greet each other in Irish. "Dia duit" means "hello," or literally, "God to you." You can reply, "Dia is Muire duit," which means literally, "God and Mary to you." Alternatively, one person can say, "Mora na maidine dhuit," meaning, "Top of the morning to you." The other person can reply, "Agus cuid eile an lae dhuit fein," which means, "And the rest of the day to yourself." Another useful Irish phrase is "Cad é mar a tá tú?", "Cén chaoi 'bhfuil tú ?" or "Conas atá tú ?", which means "How are you?" in different dialects of Irish. Reply, "Tá mé go maith"("I am doing well."). "Slán leat" means "goodbye" and is said to the person who is leaving, while "slán agat" is said to the remaining person.
If you are in an Irish pub, some Irish toasts may come handy. "Sláinte agus táinte" means, "Health and wealth!" while "Croí follain agus gob fliuch" stands for "A healthy heart and a wet mouth!" Another good toast is "Sláinte chuig na fír, agus go mairfidh na mna go deo," which means "Health to the men and may the women live forever." If you are in a company with people you like, you can say, "Go mbeire muid beo ar an am seo arís!" ("May we be alive at this time next year.") If there are children, wish the parents, " Sliocht sleachta ar shliocht bhur sleachta" ("Blessings on your posterity"). At a St. Patrick's Day celebration say, "Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig" ("Happy St. Patrick's Day!"). You can also wish everyone to have a prosperous New Year by saying, "Athbhliain faoi mhaise dhuit!"
Irish songs and dances are known well beyond the shores of Ireland. You can learn many new words and phrases by listening to and learning Irish songs. Follow a link in the Resources section of this article to navigate to a page with a list of Irish songs. Click on any one and you will hear the melody and see lyrics of the song, both the Irish original and the English translation.