Over the years I have collected several Irish Blessings on my hard drive. I like to use them both in poetry studies and Irish cultural studies. The above blessing is perhaps the most famous.
Full of thoughtful goodwill, Irish Blessings are a lovely way to practice poetry in a new way--with wishing the things you think nicest and best on others.
May there always be work for your hands to do.
May your purse always hold a coin or two.
May the sun always shine on your windowpane.
May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain.
May the hand of a friend always be near you.
May God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.
May you be blessed with the strength of heaven
The light of the sun and the radiance of the moon
The splendor of the fire
The speed of lightning
The swiftness of wind
The depth of the sea
The stability of earth
And the firmness of rock
In addition to trying your hands at "regular" Irish Blessing poetry, you can also put twists on the topics. For example, this time of year is the beginning of baseball season and so my house is bustling with anticipation for that. Therefore, one year we wrote Irish Blessing-type poetry on the subject of baseball--blessings and best wishes for the game.
For the first game of the season I wrote a silly little ditty of this type to go with some treats and handed them out on the bus.
My kids wrote some really great Baseball Irish Blessings, and I would share them with you if I could currently locate them, but I can't. The point is, though, you should give this poetry form a try.
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