What Is Ireland’s Motto?

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The Republic of Ireland does not have an officially accepted national motto. Several popular Gaelic phrases are, however, mistakenly used as the national motto of Ireland. The phrase most commonly misused as the national motto of Ireland is Éire go Deo, which is pronounced “air-ah guh joe.”

The literal English translation of the phrase Éire go Deo is “Ireland is Forever,” but the shorter version of “Ireland Forever” is used most often. Céad Míle Fáilte, pronounced “kade meelah faw-ilteh,” is also regularly misused as the national motto of Ireland, but it simply means “One hundred thousand welcomes.” Céad Míle Fáilte is the phrase tourists see printed on posters welcoming them to the country.