20 Irish Proverbs For St. Patrick's Day

The Irish are rarely shy when it comes to speaking their minds, and as these 20 Irish proverbs for St. Patrick's Day demonstrate, they're also pretty wise when it comes to what they're saying. While you might be spending St. Patrick's Day with a pint of Guinness, that doesn't mean you can't take a few moments prior to your celebration to learn something worth while. You'll want to have at least a few things you remember from the day, right?

The Irish know a thing or two about celebrating, and they also know a thing or two about character... and children... and marriage. Basically, they know a lot about everything. These Irish sayings below might be short in length, but they're packed to the brim with useful knowledge and practical advice that everyone can benefit from — and let's be honest, good advice can sometimes be hard to find these days.

This St. Patrick's Day, take some time to not only celebrate the Irish and their beautiful heritage, but to also learn from them. There's a reason these proverbs have stuck around for so long, and there's a reason they'll continue to stick around for so much longer. Long live the Irish and long live their words of wisdom.

1. A drink precedes a story.

2. There's no need to fear the wind if your haystacks are tied down.

3. A handful of skill is better than a bagful of gold.

4. May the roof above us never fall in. And may the friends gathered below it never fall out.

5. Praise the young and they will blossom.

6. A scholar's ink lasts longer than a martyr's blood.

7. Mothers hold their children's hands for just a little while... and their hearts forever.

8. Your feet will bring you where your heart is.

9. A friend's eye is a good mirror.

10. The future is not set, there is no fate but what we make for ourselves.

11. Do not resent growing old. Many are denied the privilege.

12. If you do not sow in the spring, you will not reap in the autumn.

13. Good as drink is, it ends in thirst.

14. May the saddest day of your future be no worse than the happiest day of your past.

15. If you lie down with dogs you'll rise with fleas.

16. People live in one another's shelter.

17. A bad egg, a bad bird.

18. Quiet people are well able to look after themselves.

19. Even a small thorn causes festering.

20. A light heart lives long.

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