Hello!

My sisters and I have designed a tattoo we would like to get and I have been researching the correct translation for months. I think we've narrowed it down to two possibilities and I'm hoping someone here can confirm one of them for me! We're looking to translate the phrase "Family first, family forever" into Irish Gaelic. Our great grandfather was from County Cork and we would love to have a little something added to our tattoo to remember him by. So far, we've nailed down that we would use muintir rather than teachlagh since we want to use the term that would include our extended family. I'm stuck on what to use for "first". Should it be:

Muintir chead, muintir go deo.

-or-

Muintir ar dtus, muintir go deo.


We appreciate any help we can get!!

You want the second one, but you also want to make sure you get the necessary accent marks in (the words are misspelled without them):

Muintir ar dtús, muintir go deo.

If you go with mixed caps, you'd want that "d" in "dtús" to remain lowercase, like this:

Muintir ar dTús, Muintir go Deo

Wait for more.

Redwolf

I second what Red said.

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I'm not a native (or entirely fluent) speaker, so be sure to wait for confirmations/corrections, especially for tattoos.

Thanks Redwolf and CaoimhínSF! I'll hold off until I get a third confirmation, but I'm feeling much more confident!

A good friend of mine with family in Ireland is also helping me to track down the correction translation of this. Her take on this phrase is:

Muintir ar agh aids, muintir go deo.

No...I'm afraid that doesn't work at all.

I assume she was going for "Muintir ar aghaidh," but that's more like "Family ahead."

Redwolf

As you know saying "family" in Irish is complicated. But as you want the extended family that is correct.

I think it might look better with an "our" in there.
Ár Muintir ar dTús, Ár Muintir go Deo
- but that's optional

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It is recommended that you always wait for three to agree on a translation.
I speak Connemara Irish, and my input will often reflect that.
I will do an mp3 file on request for short translations.
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I agree...either "our" or "my":

Mo Mhuintir ar dTús, Mo Mhuintir go Deo

(Those "h's" are in there, KatelynFae, because the possessive adjective "mo" requires them).

Since this is a group tattoo, "Ár" makes more sense, though.

Because "Muintir" can also mean "people" (as in "Muintir na hÉireann": The People of Ireland), adding a possessive adjective makes it clearer you're talking about family.

Glad you brought that up, Bríd!

Redwolf

Thanks for all the input guys! Can I get a third thumbs up to:

Ár Muintir ar dTús, Ár Muintir go Deo.

If I can figure out how to attach a photo here I'll share the tattoo with everyone!

Ar dtús doesn't sound quite right to me in the context. Is there a literary precedent or quote to support the usage?

Ar dtús literally means "at first", as in "first" in a temporal sense, rather than "first" as in "(giving) precedence to sth or sb". It works for mná agus páistí ar dtús "women and children first" because of the implied verb sábháiltear.

"Ladies first", i.e., "ladies take precedence", on the other hand, is tosach do mhná.

Ar aghaidh isn't as out of place as it might seem, either, but I'd reverse the order to ar aghaigh le - ar aghaidh linn ! means "(Let's go) Onward!"

Some alternative suggestions:

Tosach Dár Muintir, Ár Muintir go Deo "(Our) Family First, (our) Family Forever"
Tús Dár Muintir, Ár Muintir go Deo "(Our) Family First, (our) Family Forever"
Ár Muintir Thar Gach Uile Ní, Ár Muintir go Deo "(Our) Family First, (our) Family Forever" literally "(Our) Family Above All Else, ..."
Ar Aghaidh Lenár Muintir, Ár Muintir go Deo "(Our) Family First, (our) Family Forever" literally "Onward with our Family/Our Family to the fore ..."

Await further discussion ...

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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).