Do you ever come across several issues when you are trying to get to somewhere in Ireland but just don’t know how to ask for the address? Wouldn’t you like to go to the cinema around the corner but you are not aware of how to read Irish addresses?
In this blog post, we will walk you through all the important Irish words and phrases along with an ultimate guide to find your way around the Irish addresses. So let’s get started!
How to read Irish addresses
You might be wondering that learning about Irish addresses could be meaningless since most people might not even need to read an address. That is not true because there are countless occasions when you might need to send your thesis or any professional document to your place and you are unaware of all the ways to do so. In such cases having the know-how of all the rules is genuinely important.
Now, let’s go see what forms the basis of a regular Irish address!
The street address and street name
How to read Irish addresses differs depending on where you are in the country. While street addresses including the street name are important for the Irish people, in most cases there are not many in rural areas. If you decide to discuss addresses in Ireland in the rural areas, you probably won’t find the exact details.
However, the addresses in urban areas will be quite precise with a proper street address but sadly the same can’t be said about the rural areas. In which case you might need to ask around a little and thus we have also mentioned a couple of useful words and phrases for you in the blog post to help you know how help read Irish addresses so keep reading!
Postcode system
In Ireland, you might come across a slight difference that might not be present in the towns. This is because the towns usually have the name of the locality written on their address while modern cities like Dublin tend to have a postal code written.
The national postcode system of Ireland is known as the Eircode. This is the same as zip code (in the US), code postal (in France), postcode (in the UK), and PLZ (in Germany). Unfortunately, Ireland is not as progressed as most places and still needs to upgrade its game of Eircode since very few places in Ireland have this system.
Post town Vocabulary
Let’s look at some of the most important words for post-town vocabulary in Irish!
| Irish Vocabulary | English Translation |
| Éireann | Ireland |
| Tír | Country |
| Post | Post |
| Teach | House |
| Roghnach | Optional |
| Cód Poist | Postcode |
| Seoladh | Address |
| Baile Poist | Post Town |
| Cód | Code |
| Córas Cód Poist | Postcode System |
| Phost | |
| Treoirlínte | Guidelines |
| Foirgnimh | Buildings |
| Litir | Letter |
| Daoine | People |
| Spás | Space |
| Tithe | Houses |
| Sráid | Street |
| Tíortha | Countries |
| Líne Breise | Extra Line |
| Contae | County |
| Cathracha | Cities |
| Foirgneamh | Building |
| Mearbhall | Confusion |
| Seoltaí | Addresses |
| Nasctha | Linked |
| Ainm Sráide | Street Name |
| Stáit | State |
| Clúdach Litreach | Envelope |
| Baile | Town |
| Ceantar | Locality |
| Poblacht | Republic |
| Áiteanna | Places |
| Cheantar | Area |
| Cuairt | Visit |
| Suíomh | Location |
| Aghaidh | Addressed |
| Domhan | World |
| Chathair | City |
| Cóid Phoist | Postcodes |
| Cárta Poist | Postcard |
Irish Phrases
How can you incorporate all the words we just taught you into your everyday life? Let’s find out with the list of Irish sentences provided below!
| Irish Phrases | English Translation |
| An bhfuil a fhios agat cá bhfuil an t-ospidéal? | Do you know where the hospital is? |
| Conas a shroicheann tú an t-ollmhargadh as seo? | How do you get to the supermarket from here? |
| An é seo an bealach ceart don chaifitéire? | Is this the right way to the cafeteria? |
| An féidir leat an bealach chuig an ospidéal a insint dom? | Can you tell me the way to the hospital? |
| Cá bhfuil tú go díreach? | Where are you exactly? |
| Táim ag lorg an seoladh seo, conas is féidir liom teacht ann? | I am looking for this address, how can I get there? |
| Cad é an bealach is tapúla chun dul chuig an ambasáid as seo? | What’s the quickest way to get to the embassy from here? |
| Cá bhfuil an clinic is gaire? | Where is the nearest clinic? |
| Conas is féidir liom teacht go dtí an teach tábhairne? | How can I get to the pub? |
| An bhféadfá a insint dom cá bhfuil an siopa troscáin is gaire duit? | Could you tell me where the nearest furniture shop is? |
| Conas a shroicheann tú an stáisiún traenach? | How do you get to the railway station? |
| Táim ag iarraidh dul go dtí an chúirt, An féidir leat a thaispeáint dom ar an léarscáil? | I am trying to get to the court, can you show me where it is on the map? |
| An bhfuil muid ar an mbóthar ceart do Bhaile Átha Cliath? | Are we on the right road for Dublin? |
| An bhfuil léarscáil agat? | Do you have a map? |
| An bhféadfá cabhrú liom, le do thoil? Táim ag lorg an siopa leabhar. | Could you help me, please? I’m looking for the bookstore. |
| An bhfuil a fhios agat cá bhfuil an t-óstán? | Do you know where the hotel is? |
| An féidir leat insint dom conas dul go dtí an stáisiún traenach as seo? | Can you tell me how to get to the train station from here? |
| Cá bhfuil an carnabhail? | Where is the carnival? |
| Cad é an bealach is éasca le teacht ar an scoil as seo? | What’s the easiest way to get to the school from here? |
| An dtéann an bus seo go dtí an leabharlann? | Does this bus go to the library? |
| Táim ag iarraidh páirc siamsa a aimsiú. An bhféadfá insint dom conas dul ann? | I am trying to find an amusement park. Could you tell me how to get there? |
| An bhfuil siopa drugaí thart anseo? | Is there a drugstore around here? |
| An féidir leat treoracha a thabhairt dom chuig an ospidéal is gaire? | Can you give me directions to the nearest hospital? |
| An bhfuil siopa peataí in aice leis seo? | Is there a pet shop near here? |
| Cad é an bealach is fearr chun dul chuig an ionad siopadóireachta as seo? | What’s the best way to get to the shopping center from here? |
| Conas a rachaidh mé go dtí an mall? | How do I get to the mall? |
Wrapping Up
Yay! Now you are aware of all the important key points that you need to know about how to read Irish addresses. If you want to learn Irish then try using the Ling App, a place for you to start learning Irish right now. The process is easy and simple!
You simply download the app, enter some basic information, and voila! You have access to all the amazing languages, including the Irish language, within seconds. We also have other blog posts like Telling Time In Irish and Irish Moods And Emotions Vocab which can help you improve your Irish even more!
Happy Learning!
