May The Road Rise To Meet You is one of the most famous Irish blessings of all.
This blessing is celebrated on a Belleek Pottery Irish Blessing plate.
Table of Contents
May The Road Rise To Meet You
The words of this blessing go like this:
May the road rise to meet you
May the wind be always at your back
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
May the rains fall soft upon your fields
And until we meet again
May God hold you in the hollow of His hand.
This verse is painted onto a Belleek pottery plate surrounded by shamrocks and the image of a man with a dog walking on an Irish country road toward a small thatched cottage.
This traditional Irish blessing is an ancient Celtic prayer, and the original version is in Irish.
Once again I am teaming up with Aidan from Gifts of Ireland to bring you another Irish gift this Christmas.
And so, without further ado, let me show you our tenth lovely prize.
(A quick tip from Mom - Take a look at the video at the top or side of this post to see the prize in more detail.)
Day 12 Prize: Health, Love and Happiness Framed Ogham Wishes Wall Art
Celtic literature reveals that our ancestors were very close to nature. Old manuscripts, like the Book of Kells, are filled with images of nature. This old blessing talks about how God interacts with us through nature.
"May The Road rise up to meet you" focuses on God blessing us for a journey. The invocation is that your journey may be an easy one. The road will meet your step by rising up toward you. There will be no big obstacles along the way.
The blessing also calls upon the wind, the sun and the rain to bless us along life's journey. The wind is called upon to blow us onward from behind, to aid us as we progress along our way.
The sun is called upon to warm us on our way, and the rain is to fall softly on our fields.
This blessing is telling us that God will protect us as we journey through life. With faith in God, He will provide for us, and hold us in the hollow of His hand.
Belleek Pottery is located in County Fermanagh in Northern Ireland, and this company has been making pottery since 1857 in the small village that shares the same name, Belleek.
Famed for producing delicate porcelain pieces with a distinctive shamrock pattern, this Irish pottery has been appreciated for generations.
They create more than 100,000 stunning pottery pieces each year, using traditional production methods handed down through the generations over the past 160 years
Belleek Pottery design and create the finest quality handcrafted Irish gifts.
Check Out Our Video Prize Reveal
At the top of this post I've shared a short video featuring this lovely prize.
I met with Aidan from Gifts of Ireland in Dublin, and we shot an information video together highlighting each prize for our giveaway series.
At the end of the video I share how this blessing sounds in the Irish language.
"Go n-éirí an bóthar leat
Go raibh an ghaoth go brách ag do chúl
Go lonraí an ghrian go te ar d'aghaidh
Go dtite an bháisteach go mín ar do pháirceanna
Agus go mbuailimid le chéile arís,
Go gcoinní Dia i mbos A láimhe thú."
Listen to our video to hear the pronunciation.
Here's a printable version of this lovely blessing.
How To Purchase Gifts From Gifts of Ireland
Aidan stocks a wide selection of gifts from the Belleek Pottery collection.
You can purchase this lovely Irish Blessing plate through this link...
I hope you find something you love in this wonderful collection of Irish fine porcelain.
How To Enter Our Giveaway
One reader will win a Belleek Pottery Irish Blessing plate, featuring the words of the famous Irish blessing, "May the road rise to meet you."
To enter simply leave a comment on this blog post by noon Eastern Time on Saturday, December 11th, 2021.
You can write any comment. What you write does not impact your chance of winning. If you need inspiration why not let us know if you have a favorite Irish blessing?
If you live in Canada or Ireland, then please answer the following question in your comment by typing A, B or C for the correct answer ...
Belleek is a village in which of Ireland's thirty-two counties?
A. County Fermanagh
B. County Wexford
C. County Mayo
A winning comment will be chosen randomly using the Pick Giveaway Winner Wordpress plug-in.
Remember to leave your e-mail so that I can contact you should you win. Your e-mail won’t be published, just used to contact our winner for mailing of the prize.
The winner will be announced on Saturday, December 11th, 2021, at the bottom of this blog post.
You may check out Irish American Mom’s complete terms and conditions for sweepstakes’ entries here.
A big thank you to all who support this giveaway and share it with family and friends. Why not spread a little Irish Christmas cheer with those you love this year?
Any many thanks to the good folks at Gifts of Ireland for so generously sponsoring this prize, and all the prizes in our 12 Days of Christmas Irish Gift Giveaways.
Thank you for stopping by to check out all of the prizes along the way. Here's a quick recap of our twelve prizes.
- May The Road Rise To Meet You Irish Blessing Plate Day Twelve Gift
- Irish Tweed Cap Day Eleven Prize
- Health, Love and Happiness Ogham Wishes Day Ten Gift
- Love, Loyalty and Friendship Irish Wall Art Day 9 Gift
- Celtic Pocket Watch By Mullingar Pewter Day 8 Gift
- Erin Knitwear Hat For Her Day Seven Gift
- Celtic Cross Silver Pendant Day Six Gift
- Donegal Tweed Scarf Day Five Christmas Gift
- Ireland Photo Frame Day Four Christmas Giveaway Prize
- Quiet Man Cottage - Day Three Prize For Christmas
- Day Two Of Our Twelve Days of Christmas Giveaways
- Day One Of Our Twelve Days Of Christmas Giveaways
Update - Winner Chosen
Our winner has been randomly chosen using the Pick Giveaway Winner Plug-in for WordPress.
And the lucky reader is ….
Joan
I’ll send an email to arrange mailing of her prize. A big thank you to everyone for supporting this giveaway by leaving comments. I thoroughly enjoyed reading each and every comment.
Thank you all for supporting our Irish American community.
Stay tuned for more stories and giveaways over the coming weeks and months.
Thanks for following my recipes and ramblings.
Slán agus beannacht,
(Goodbye and blessings)
Mairéad -Irish American Mom
Pronunciation - slawn ah-gus ban-ock-th
Mairéad - rhymes with parade
Disclosure: Irish American Mom LLC has an affiliate relationship with Gifts of Ireland which means I earn a small commission should you purchase an item through the links on my blog. The price you pay is not affected. Thank you for supporting this Irish business.
- God Bless The Corners Of This House
- The Magic Of Christmas Lingers On
- May the Blessings Of Christmas Be With You
- Irish Sayings And Blessings For Troubled Times
- An Irish Family Prayer
- A Day Lasts Until It Is Chased Away
- May You Never Forget What Is Worth Remembering
- May You Be As Contented As Christmas Finds You
Stephanie Harris Fink
I would love to win this beautiful plate. The words are so meaningful. Thank you for offering this contest and for sharing all the amazing stories, history, & recipes of Ireland!
Barbara Pelcher
I would love this gift!!
Irish American Mom
Hi Barbara - Thank you for taking the time to support our giveaways.
All the best,
Mairéad
Carol Spangler
Favorite Irish saying. Beautiful Belleek.
Irish American Mom
Thanks for joining in our giveaway, Carol.
Best wishes for a lovely Christmas.
Mairéad
Irish American Mom
Hi Stephanie - Thank you for stopping by to support our giveaways. I really appreciate all the readers of Irish American Mom, who love Ireland like I do.
All the best,
Mairéad
Carmen Carlyle
Love your blog, l spend one in Ireland week l wish l next time stay for a month look forward for your blogs every time.
Irish American Mom
Hi Carmen - I hope you get to travel Ireland for a whole month next time. It looks like a small country on a map but there's so much to see and do, that you definitely need more time than anticipated initially.
All the best,
Mairéad
Cheryl Williams
This irish blessing has always reminded me of my grandfather, as he came to the USA from County Cork.
Barbara Pelcher
I would love this gift!!
Irish American Mom
Hi Barbara - Best of luck in our giveaway.
Take care,
Mairéad
Irish American Mom
Hi Cheryl - Lovely to hear you too have Cork ancestry and that this blessing reminds you of your grandfather from that little corner of Ireland. It's a lovely part of the world.
All the best,
Mairéad
Angela Dougherty-Way
Oh my! Absolutely love this plate. It is so pretty and it gives such a peaceful, calm and loving feeling. Will miss my daily pop ins for great gift ideas, learning the Celtic language and recipes. Will need to go back on past posts and enjoy those again 🙂 Thank you so very much.
Irish American Mom
Hi Angela - So glad you've enjoyed this giveaway series. I have lots more recipes and ramblings to share in the coming weeks, months and even years. Thanks for being such a loyal reader of my blog. I really appreciate it.
All the best,
Mairéad
Sheila Kearney
What a beautiful Irish plate! I love Belleek and that is my favorite Irish blessing. I'm sad to see the contest ending. I loved seeing all the wonderful items you would have. Thank you so much for doing this and bringing some extra Christmas cheer to us all!
Irish American Mom
Hi Sheila - I love how meaningful this little Irish blessing is for anyone with Irish heritage. So glad you've enjoyed all these giveaways. I hope you have a lovely Christmas and New Year.
All the best,
Mairéad
Deirdre OBrien
Beautiful plate! Thank you for all the wonderful give always!
Irish American Mom
Hi Deirdre - So glad you like this little Irish blessing plate.
Mairéad
Michael
A most beautiful plate! This same blessing, albeit stitched on cloth, hung from the wall of my Grandma O’Donnalon’s kitchen until she passed. All of us grandkids have similar blessings in our own homes as well, but this would be a grand gift for one of the next generation. Thank ya kindly for sharing it with us! Blessings!
Irish American Mom
Hi Michael - Lovely to hear your Irish grandma displayed this wonderful Irish blessing in her home. I love how your family are continuing the tradition of sharing this Irish blessing with the world. Passing this family tradition down to the next generation is a wonderful idea.
All the best,
Mairéad
Jackie Weger
It's beautiful
Irish American Mom
Hi Jackie - Thanks for reading my ramblings, and supporting our raffles.
All the best,
Mairéad
Bernadette
It's beautiful! I would have a perfect spot on my newly painted wall for it.
This is my favorite blessing:
Deep peace of the running wave to you.
Deep peace of the flowing air to you.
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you.
Deep peace of the shining stars to you.
Deep peace of the Son of Peace to you.
Irish American Mom
Hi Bernadette - Great to hear you already have a spot on your wall for this prize. I love your favorite Irish blessing. It resonates with me. Here's a collection of blessings where I shared that same one. I hope you'll like the graphic I created for those beautiful words...
https://www.irishamericanmom.com/the-gift-of-peacefulness-in-celtic-words-of-wisdom/
All the best,
Mairéad
Janet MacNamara
This Belleek plate is so cute. If I am lucky enough to win, I will proudly display this with my other Belleek pieces.☘️
Irish American Mom
Hi Janet - Lovely to hear this plate will have some other Belleek companions should you win. So glad you like this prize.
All the best,
Mairéad
John
There’s nothing like the artwork of a beautiful piece of Beleek China
Irish American Mom
Hi John - The craftsmanship and artistry is always superb in Belleek pieces.
Take care,
Mairéad
Denise
The Irish Blessing Plate is Beautiful
Irish American Mom
Hi Denise - So glad you like this prize. Good luck in our drawing.
All the best,
Mairéad
Sinead
My Irish relative wrote a prayer incorporating this Blessing and read
it at funerals to console the family. We think this plate is so
beautiful and reminds us of his kindness.
Irish American Mom
Hi Sinead - How wonderful that this little Irish blessing plate kindles warm memories of your relative. So lovely to hear of his kindness and thoughfulness. S
All the best,
Mairéad
Cathleen
Thank you for this giveaway.
Irish American Mom
Hi Cathleen - So glad you like this prize. Good luck in our drawing.
All the best,
Mairéad
Maura
Love that saying, it is recognized all over as an Irish blessing, also love the musical version of it. Have a Happy Christmas.
Irish American Mom
Hi Maura - I hope you have a lovely Christmas and New Year too. Thanks so much for following my recipes and ramblings.
All the best,
Mairéad
Maurice
Beautiful
Irish American Mom
Hi Maurice - Best of luck in our giveaway.
Take care,
Mairéad
Debbie Olsen
The plate is beautiful and I love the blessing. It would have a cherished place in my home.
Irish American Mom
Hi Debbie - So glad you like this prize and would display it proudly. Thanks for joining in our giveaway.
All the best,
Mairéad
Wanda Stone
A beautiful plate with a beautiful saying.
Irish American Mom
So glad you like it, Wanda.
All the best,
Mairéad