Erin Go Bragh - Origin

Origin

Erin go Bragh is an anglicisation of the Irish phrase Éirinn go Brách (pronounced ), in which Éirinn is the dative of Éire (meaning "Ireland"). In standard modern Irish the phrase is Éire go Brách (pronounced ). It is probable that the English version was taken from what was a "dative" context, such as Go bhfanad in Éirinn go brách ("May I stay in Ireland for ever") or Go bhfillead go hÉirinn go brách ("May I go back to Ireland for ever").

Alternatively, given that in a few local dialects (particularly in Waterford Irish and South Connacht Irish) Éirinn has replaced Éire as the ordinary name for Ireland, it could be that the phrase was taken from a speaker of such a dialect. This replacement of the nominative by the dative is common among Irish feminine and some masculine nouns of the second and fifth declensions, and is most widespread in the two dialect areas mentioned. The word brách is an adjective/nominal which is equivalent to "for ever", "eternal", "always", "still", and conveys the global semantics of "unchanging"—such as in the phrases Fan go brách ("Just wait - don't move - be patient and wait a bit more") or fuair sé an litir agus as go brách leis go dtí an sagart chun í a thaispeáint dó ("he got the letter and without waiting off with him to the priest to show him it").

A phrase confused with Erin go Bragh is Érin go Breá. This is actually Éire go breá ("Ireland is (doing) fine/great/excellent").