May you always have walls for the winds, a roof for the rain, tea beside the fire, laughter to cheer you, those you love near you, and all your heart might desire.

This text circulates as a modern “Irish blessing,” typically offered as a toast or benediction at gatherings such as weddings, housewarmings, farewells, or St. Patrick’s Day events. It belongs to a broader tradition of vernacular blessings that invoke everyday comforts—shelter from weather, warmth by the hearth, convivial drink, laughter, and the presence of loved ones—rather than explicitly liturgical language. Despite the “Irish” label, it is most often encountered in late-20th- and 21st-century greeting cards, posters, and online quotation collections, usually without attribution to a specific Irish-language original or identifiable early print source.

The blessing offers a catalogue of simple, sustaining goods: protection (“walls,” “roof”), warmth and nourishment (“tea beside the fire”), emotional resilience (“laughter”), and community (“those you love near you”). Its structure moves from basic physical security to social and inward fulfillment, implying that a good life is built first on safety and comfort, then on companionship and joy, and finally on the open-ended hope that one’s deepest wishes may be met. The tone is intimate and domestic, emphasizing everyday well-being over grand achievement. As a benediction, it also performs care: the speaker cannot guarantee these gifts, but can publicly wish them into being.

May you always have walls for the winds and a roof for the rain, and drinks beside the fire, laughter to cheer you, those you love near you, and all that your heart might desire.
May you always have walls for the wind, a roof for the rain, tea by the fire, laughter to cheer you, those you love near you, and all your heart may desire.
May you always have walls for the winds, a roof for the rain, whiskey beside the fire, laughter to cheer you, those you love near you, and all your heart might desire.