Irish insults are renowned for their creativity, humor, and linguistic flair. Unlike more straightforward insults in other English-speaking countries, Irish put-downs often involve wordplay, cultural references, and a distinctive mix of English and Irish (Gaeilge) words. Here’s your guide to Irish insults, from gentle slagging to serious affronts.
Note: While some of these terms might be considered offensive, they’re included for educational purposes to help understand Irish culture and language. Use discretion when employing them.
Mild Insults (Playful Banter)
- Eejit – A fool or idiot
“Don’t mind him, he’s a pure eejit.”
Usage: Often affectionate - Gobdaw – A foolish person
“Ya big gobdaw, what were you thinking?”
Context: Playful chiding - Amadán – Fool (from Irish)
“You’re some amadán!”
Origin: Traditional Irish word - Muppet – A foolish person
“Look at this muppet trying to park.”
Context: Generally lighthearted - Dose – An annoying person
“He’s a terrible dose altogether.”
Usage: Mild annoyance - Gombeen – A foolish or greedy person
“That gombeen would sell his own grandmother.”
Origin: From Irish “gaimbín” - Clown – A foolish person
“Who’s this clown now?”
Context: Mild disapproval - Dope – A silly person
“Ya dope, that’s not how you do it!”
Usage: Often affectionate - Tube – A foolish person
“Don’t be such a tube!”
Context: Dublin area - Spa – A foolish person
“You’re acting the spa.”
Usage: Can be offensive in some contexts
Medium-Strength Insults
- Gobshite – An idiot or loudmouth
“Shut up, ya gobshite!”
Context: Common but can be harsh - Bollocks – Fool/idiot
“He’s a complete bollocks.”
Usage: Stronger than eejit - Wagon – An unpleasant woman
“She’s an awful wagon.”
Note: Can be considered sexist - Gowl – An fool or annoying person
“Don’t be such a gowl.”
Origin: Cork area - Thick – Stupid
“He’s thick as two short planks.”
Context: Comments on intelligence
Medium-Strength Insults (continued)
- Gurrier – A troublemaker/ruffian
“Look at that gurrier causing trouble.”
Origin: Dublin street culture - Hallion – A rascal/troublemaker
“He’s a right hallion.”
Usage: Northern Ireland - Headers – A crazy person
“Your man’s pure headers!”
Context: Mental state - Hamster – An eejit
“Don’t be such a hamster.”
Usage: Modern slang - Lapeen – A fool
“Ya big lapeen, what were you thinking?”
Origin: Rural Ireland
Dublin-Specific Insults
- Bleedin’ Tick – An annoying person
“You’re a bleedin’ tick, you are.”
Context: Dublin inner city - Knacker – A troublemaker
“The knackers are causing trouble again.”
Note: Considered offensive - Geebag – An annoying person
“Don’t be such a geebag.”
Usage: Dublin youth - Jackeen – Dubliner (used by non-Dubliners)
“Typical jackeen behavior.”
Origin: Historical term - Bowsie – A rough/untrustworthy person
“Watch out for that bowsie.”
Context: Traditional Dublin
Cork Insults
- Langer – An idiot
“You’re some langer!”
Usage: Distinctly Cork - Pox – An unpleasant person
“He’s a right pox.”
Context: Strong disapproval - Sleeveen – A sly person
“Don’t trust him, he’s a sleeveen.”
Origin: Irish “slíbhín” - Gowl – A fool
“Stop being such a gowl.”
Usage: Very Cork-specific - Daw – A foolish person
“Ya daw ya!”
Context: Cork city
Northern Irish Insults
- Buck eejit – Complete fool
“Ye buck eejit!”
Usage: Belfast emphasis - Glipe – An awkward person
“Look at that glipe.”
Origin: Ulster-Scots influence - Gype – A stupid person
“Ya big gype!”
Context: Northern usage - Tout – An informer
“Nobody likes a tout.”
Usage: Serious insult in North - Balloon – A fool
“He’s a pure balloon.”
Context: Belfast area
Rural Insults
- Cute hoor – A sly person
“He’s a real cute hoor.”
Origin: Rural politics - Amadan – Fool (Irish)
“Ya amadan!”
Usage: Traditional - Gombeen – A scheming person
“Typical gombeen man.”
Context: Historical term - Bothán – Country bumpkin
“Look at the bothán.”
Origin: Irish language - Plonker – A fool
“Ya big plonker!”
Usage: Rural areas
Modern Youth Insults
- Melter – Annoying person
“Stop being such a melter!”
Context: Youth slang - Dose – Annoying person
“You’re a fierce dose.”
Usage: Modern Dublin - Tool – Foolish person
“What a tool!”
Context: Urban youth - Spanner – Idiot
“Don’t be a spanner.”
Usage: Modern slang - Weapon – Liability/foolish person
“He’s a pure weapon when he drinks.”
Context: Recent addition
Sports-Related Insults
- Header – Wild person
“He’s a complete header.”
Origin: GAA culture - Hurler on the ditch – Unhelpful critic
“Don’t be a hurler on the ditch.”
Context: GAA reference - Melt – Weak person
“You’re acting like a melt.”
Usage: Sports context - Sandbag – Unreliable player
“He’s a pure sandbag.”
Context: Team sports - Wagon – Rough player
“He’s a dirty wagon on the pitch.”
Usage: Sports specific
Pub Culture Insults
- Lightweight – Can’t handle drink
“Ya lightweight!”
Context: Drinking ability - Session moth – Party animal
“She’s a right session moth.”
Usage: Modern term - Bowsie – Unreliable drinker
“Don’t mind him, he’s a bowsie.”
Context: Pub behavior - Messers – Troublemaker
“They’re all messers in that pub.”
Usage: Social context - Langers – Very drunk
“They’re all langers.”
Origin: Cork term
Work-Related Insults
- Chancer – Opportunist
“He’s a pure chancer.”
Context: Business - Waster – Lazy person
“Don’t hire him, he’s a waster.”
Usage: Work ethic - Slacker – Lazy worker
“You’re some slacker!”
Context: Employment - Dosser – Lazy person
“Stop being such a dosser.”
Usage: Work context - Skiver – Someone who avoids work
“He’s always skiving off.”
Context: Employment
Traditional Insults
- Amadán – Fool
“Ya big amadán!”
Origin: Irish language - Bodhair – Annoying person
“Stop being a bodhair.”
Context: Irish origin - Stroill – Messy person
“You’re a right stroill.”
Usage: Traditional - Omadhaun – Fool
“Ya big omadhaun!”
Origin: Irish variation - Plámás – Flatterer (negative)
“Don’t mind his plámás.”
Context: False praise
Modern Technology-Related
- Keyboard warrior – Online troublemaker
“He’s a real keyboard warrior.”
Context: Social media - Catfish – Online deceiver
“Don’t trust him, he’s a catfish.”
Usage: Internet - Troll – Online provocateur
“Ignore him, he’s just a troll.”
Context: Social media - Wifi hogger – Bandwidth user
“Stop being a wifi hogger!”
Usage: Modern home - Tech gobshite – Technology show-off
“Look at this tech gobshite.”
Context: Modern offices
Class-Based Insults
- West Brit – Someone acting English
“Don’t be such a West Brit.”
Context: Cultural criticism - Posh boy – Privileged person
“Listen to this posh boy.”
Usage: Class commentary - Culchie – Rural person
“Typical culchie behavior.”
Context: Urban-rural divide - Bogger – Country person
“Look at the bogger.”
Usage: City perspective - D4 head – Dublin elite
“Your man’s a right D4 head.”
Context: Dublin area code
Educational Insults
- Thicko – Stupid person
“Don’t be a thicko.”
Usage: School context - Dunce – Slow learner
“Ya dunce!”
Context: Traditional - Headers – Not bright
“He’s pure headers.”
Usage: School setting - Lazy article – Unmotivated student
“You’re a lazy article.”
Context: Teachers’ term - Dope – Slow learner
“Don’t be a dope.”
Usage: School yard
Family-Related
- Mommy’s boy – Over-protected male
“Stop being such a mommy’s boy.”
Context: Family dynamics - Brat – Spoiled child
“You’re acting like a brat.”
Usage: Family setting - Bold article – Misbehaving child
“You’re a bold article!”
Context: Parental term - Gom – Foolish family member
“Your brother’s a right gom.”
Usage: Family context - Messer – Family troublemaker
“He’s the messer of the family.”
Context: Sibling dynamics
Modern Street Insults
- Spanner – Fool
“Ya total spanner!”
Usage: Urban youth - Gowl – Idiot
“Stop being a gowl.”
Context: Street talk - Eejit – Fool
“Ya big eejit!”
Usage: Common street - Tool – Idiot
“Look at this tool.”
Context: Modern usage - Muppet – Fool
“You’re some muppet.”
Usage: Street common
Sophisticated Insults
- Philistine – Uncultured person
“Don’t be such a philistine.”
Context: Cultural criticism - Gobdaw – Pretentious fool
“Listen to this gobdaw.”
Usage: Intellectual context - Bourgeois – Class criticism
“Typical bourgeois behavior.”
Context: Social commentary - Charlatan – Faker
“He’s nothing but a charlatan.”
Usage: Formal setting - Pseudo – Pretender
“Don’t be such a pseudo.”
Context: Intellectual circles
Creative Combinations
- Absolute weapon – Complete liability
“He’s an absolute weapon.”
Usage: Modern compound - Total gowl – Complete fool
“You’re a total gowl.”
Context: Emphasis - Pure headers – Completely crazy
“He’s pure headers altogether.”
Usage: Modern emphasis - Right gobshite – Complete fool
“You’re a right gobshite.”
Context: Common emphasis - Proper eejit – Complete fool
“You’re a proper eejit.”
Usage: Traditional emphasis
Regional Variations
Different parts of Ireland have their own unique insults:
- Dublin tends toward more modern, urban insults
- Cork has its own distinctive vocabulary
- Northern Ireland blends Scottish and Irish influences
- Rural areas often use more traditional terms
Modern Evolution
While traditional Irish insults remain popular, new expressions continue to emerge, particularly in urban areas. Modern Irish insults often blend traditional phrases with contemporary references.
Tips for Understanding Irish Insults
- Context is crucial – many terms can be either playful or serious
- Tone matters more than words
- Regional variations can significantly change meaning
- Terms acceptable between friends may be offensive from strangers
Conclusion
Irish insults are more than just mean words – they’re a form of verbal art that reflects Ireland’s complex relationship with language, humor, and social interaction. Whether used in friendly banter or heated arguments, they showcase the creativity and wit that characterize Irish communication.
Author: jonathan
Jonathan is the publisher of Irishtopia.net, Anglotopia.net, and Londontopia.net. He's passionate about travel and learning about other cultures. He's been to Ireland several times, and uses his travel expertise for Irishtopia!
