Cad é a dhéanfadh mac an chait ach luch a mharú?
Word for wordWhat would the cat’s son do but kill a mouse?
What it meansLike father, like son.
Approximate pronunciation guide
kod ay a YAN-hukh mok un khich okh lukh a WAR-oo
Written for English speakers and editorial rather than sourced. It will get you close enough to be understood, and it is not a substitute for a native speaker. Recorded audio is planned; see About.
When to use it For the child who is their parent all over again. Said with pride, mostly.
About this saying
The proverb the dictionaries print is also the one the schoolchildren of Connemara wrote down in the 1930s: a Schools’ Collection page from Árd Mhór in Co. Galway carries it in the manuscript spelling of the day, which the citation preserves. The wording here is Ó Dónaill’s.
Provenance
Where this wording comes from. We publish nothing we cannot point at.
- DictionaryÓ Dónaill, Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla (1977)s.v. mac
- Folklore archiveNational Folklore Collection: duchas.ieThe Schools' CollectionCBÉS 0011:145, Árd Mhór school, An Aird Mhóir, Co. Galway; the transcript spells it "Ceard a dheánfadh mac an cúit acht luch a marbú"