hi everyone,
i am hoping to get a tattoo of the words "everything happens for a reason" in gaelic in memory of my dad, please could you help me out with the translation?!

your help is much appreciated,
thanks for your time

amy x

Perhaps:

Bíonn fáth le chuile shórt a tharlaíonns. "There is a reason for everything that happens." (GC)

The order is a little different but I think it flows better this way in Irish.

Await confirmation or correction ...

_________________
Múinteoir Gaeilge - Irish Teacher
My "specialty" is Connemara Irish, particularly Cois Fhairrge dialect, but I can also speak Ulster and Munster Irish with native-level pronunciation.
Is fearr Gaeilge ḃriste ná Béarla cliste, cinnte, aċ i ḃfad níos fearr aríst í Gaeilge ḃinn ḃeo na nGaeltaċtaí.
Gaeilge Chonnacht (GC), go háraid Gaeilge Chois Fhairrge (GCF), Gaeilic Uladh (GU), Gaelainn na Mumhan (GM), agus Gaeilge an Chaighdeáin Oifigiúil (CO).

Perhaps also:

Tarlaíonn chuile ní ar chúis éigin

Sorry, Scooby, I realised this was a request for Connemara Irish after I posted mine and you must have posted yours while I was changing mine. (For reference to others, I had Tá cúis le gach ní a tharlaíonn.)

Yours in GC, perhaps:

Tarlaíonn chuile shórt ar fháth eicínt.

_________________
Múinteoir Gaeilge - Irish Teacher
My "specialty" is Connemara Irish, particularly Cois Fhairrge dialect, but I can also speak Ulster and Munster Irish with native-level pronunciation.
Is fearr Gaeilge ḃriste ná Béarla cliste, cinnte, aċ i ḃfad níos fearr aríst í Gaeilge ḃinn ḃeo na nGaeltaċtaí.
Gaeilge Chonnacht (GC), go háraid Gaeilge Chois Fhairrge (GCF), Gaeilic Uladh (GU), Gaelainn na Mumhan (GM), agus Gaeilge an Chaighdeáin Oifigiúil (CO).

How about just Tá cúis le chuile ní/shórt? ‘There’s a reason for/behind everything’?

_________________
Not a native speaker.

Always wait for at least three people to agree on a translation, especially if it’s for something permanent.

My translations are usually GU (Ulster Irish), unless CO (Standard Orthography) is requested.

I'm not sure but I think cúis means more like "a case" or "cause" than "a reason" in Connemara. So those expressions above with cúis mean more like "there is a case for everything", which is not quite the same as "there is a reason for everything". Another possibility might be údar. Bríd might be able to shed some light here ...

_________________
Múinteoir Gaeilge - Irish Teacher
My "specialty" is Connemara Irish, particularly Cois Fhairrge dialect, but I can also speak Ulster and Munster Irish with native-level pronunciation.
Is fearr Gaeilge ḃriste ná Béarla cliste, cinnte, aċ i ḃfad níos fearr aríst í Gaeilge ḃinn ḃeo na nGaeltaċtaí.
Gaeilge Chonnacht (GC), go háraid Gaeilge Chois Fhairrge (GCF), Gaeilic Uladh (GU), Gaelainn na Mumhan (GM), agus Gaeilge an Chaighdeáin Oifigiúil (CO).

Example: Ar chúis éigin, smaoinigh mé ar m'uncail.

Perhaps cúis isn't the word to use in GC, but it's certainly used in some parts in this context.

údar always seems to go with a noun - údar bróin for example.