Irish

noun

ˈī-rish 

1

plural in construction : natives or inhabitants of Ireland or their descendants especially when of Celtic speech or culture

2

a

: the Celtic language of Ireland especially as used since the later medieval period

b

: English spoken by the Irish

3

: irish whiskey

Irish adjective

Examples of Irish in a Sentence

How many Irish are there in England?

Recent Examples on the Web

De la Guardia has volunteered with the center since it was founded in 1992 by an Irish Catholic priest, Father Frank O’Loughlin. — Miami Herald, 25 June 2026

The Twin Cities Irish Fest, which takes place on Harriet Island every August, needs some fundraising help and is throwing a block party fundraising bash. — Jared Kaufman, Twin Cities, 24 June 2026

Tyler Mahle will return from a hamstring strain and start for the Giants in Wednesday’s Irish Heritage Night game, his first start since May 26. — Cam Inman, Mercury News, 24 June 2026

On Wednesday, Irish Heritage Night will also feature a live performance — a bagpipe show from the Healy School of Irish Dance. — Sean Campbell, Sacbee.com, 23 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English *Īrisc, from Īras Irishmen, of Celtic origin; akin to Old Irish Ériu Ireland

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing Irish

• anti-Irish
• Irish bull
• Irish coffee
• Irish confetti
• Irish Gaelic
• Irish mail
• Irish moss
• Irish potato
• Irish setter
• Irish stew
• Irish terrier
• Irish water spaniel
• Irish whiskey
• Irish wolfhound
• Middle Irish
• Old Irish
• Scotch-Irish
• Scots-Irish

Kids Definition

Irish

noun

ˈī(ə)r-ish 

1

Irish plural : the people of Ireland

2

: the Celtic language of Ireland

Irish adjective