Greetings
How's it going?
Said as a greeting — 'grand, yourself?' is the reply
Hello / how are you. Not an actual enquiry into your wellbeing.
Social
Grand
The most load-bearing word in Ireland
Fine, OK, good enough. 'I'm grand' declines an offer; 'that's grand' accepts one.
Craic
crack — 'what's the craic?', 'it was great craic'
Fun, news, atmosphere, gossip — all at once. The central social concept.
Your man / your one
Used for someone whose name is unknown or irrelevant
That bloke / that woman. Not possessive; just a way of pointing verbally.
Sound
'He's sound', 'sound, thanks'
Decent, reliable, good — and also 'thanks, that's fine'. High praise for a person.
Deadly
'That's deadly'
Excellent. Confusingly positive.
Culchie / Jackeen
CUL-chee / jack-EEN
Someone from outside Dublin / someone from Dublin. Traded as affectionate insults.
Daily life
The Luas
LOO-as — Irish for 'speed'
Dublin's tram, running Green and Red lines. The DART is the coastal rail line.
Leap card
'Tag on with your Leap'
The transport card for bus, Luas and DART. Cheaper than cash fares and fare-capped.
Press
'It's in the press'
A cupboard. The 'hot press' is the airing cupboard — a fixture of Irish homes.
Food
Naggin
NAG-in
A small 200ml spirit bottle. A unit of measurement in Irish social life.
Emergency
999 or 112
Either works
Emergency services — Garda, fire, ambulance.
Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.