Ní neart go cur le chéile
Word by word
Each headword links to its entry in Ó Dónaill’s Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla (1977) on teanglann.ie; the glosses are quoted from it.
| In the saying | Headword | Dictionary gloss | Grammar |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ní | ní | negative of the copula is | the “there is no…” of classification: Ní neart: it is not strength, there is no strength. |
| neart | neart | strength; force, power | Ó Dónaill prints this whole proverb at the entry: “Ní neart go cur le chéile, unity is strength”. |
| go | go | to, till, until | the proverb frame Ní X go Y. No X until Y, nothing is X short of Y. |
| cur | cur | setting, placing (verbal noun of cuir) | Ó Dónaill glosses the phrase itself: “cur le chéile, unity (of opinion, of effort); coherence”. |
| le | le | with | le chéile: with each other, together. |
| chéile | céile | companion; each other | the same “each other” word found in the shelter proverb; le chéile. Together. |
How to use it
Five words with no person in them, so nothing needs adjusting for singular, plural or gender. It addresses a marriage, a team, a family or a county exactly as it stands.
It is the engraver’s proverb: short enough to survive being made small, concrete enough to mean something on a medal, a crest-less family print or a wedding ring box. For a warmer, less proverbial line at a wedding, the direct blessing is Go maire sibh bhur saol nua.
Register: plain and public. It carries no religion and no sentimentality, which is why it survives committee mottoes and dressing-room walls without embarrassment.
Where it comes from
Ó Dónaill prints the proverb verbatim in his entry for neart: “Ní neart go cur le chéile, unity is strength.” His entry for cur separately defines the phrase cur le chéile as “unity (of opinion, of effort); coherence (of ideas)”. So the dictionary attests both the saying and the working part inside it.
The frame is a classic Irish proverb shape: Ní X go Y, “there is no X until Y”. The same mould that casts several of the wisdom sayings in this collection.
The earliest attestation we can point at is Ó Dónaill (1977), s.v. neart. We found no older written source.
For the same occasion
- Go maire sibh bhur saol nuaMay you enjoy your new life together.Addressed to the couple themselves, in the plural, in the subjunctive Irish keeps for blessings. Choose it when the print is for the couple. It is the wording that speaks to them directly.
- Ar scáth a chéile a mhaireann na daoineWe live in one another's shelter.The line most often read at Irish weddings, and it is not about marriage at all. People live in one another’s shelter. Choose it over the direct blessings when you want the reading rather than the wish.
- Ní buan cogadh na gcaradA quarrel between friends does not last.A quarrel between friends does not last. The tradition’s dry reassurance. Choose it for a couple who would grin at it; it suits the speech better than the card.
- Go maire tú is go gcaithe tú éMay you live to enjoy it and wear it.The traditional words said over something newly acquired. Choose it when the print marks the giving of the gift itself rather than the marriage.
On a card, a speech, a print
On a card it reads as a statement, so it suits congratulations (a graduation, a team’s season, a wedding) rather than sympathy. On a print, neart takes the display type naturally.
For engraving: both fadas checked on the proof, and resist any urge to “tidy” go to gur or the like. The wording is the wording, and it is cited.
Questions people ask
What does “go” mean here, I thought it meant “may”?
Different word, same spelling. In blessings go is the wish-particle before a verb; here it is the preposition “until”: no strength until pulling-together. The word-by-word table above links each to its own dictionary entry.
Is this the Irish for “stronger together”?
It is the traditional Irish proverb that says what that slogan says, Ó Dónaill glosses it “unity is strength”. It predates any campaign that borrowed the sentiment, and unlike the slogans, it is citable.
Where does the stress go when I say it?
Late: nee nyart guh kur leh KHAY-leh, with the weight on chéile. Say it slowly: five words do not need speed.
Can it work at a funeral?
It is not a mourning line: it looks forward, not back. For a funeral the tradition offers Ar scáth a chéile a mhaireann na daoine, which is read at gravesides precisely because it is about what a community is.
Provenance
Where this wording comes from. We publish nothing we cannot point at.
- DictionaryÓ Dónaill, Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla (1977)s.v. neart
Sources checked 2026-08-28; page last reviewed 2026-08-31. How we source and review is on the About page.