Anyone who has lived away from Ireland knows the feeling. It sneaks up on you at odd moments – a smell of rain on warm tarmac, a song on the radio, a voice in a queue that sounds like home. Millions of people around the world have Irish roots, and many more have spent a few years here and left a piece of their heart behind.
From our studio in Co. Limerick, we hear from people every week who are looking for a gift for a son in Sydney, a sister in Boston or a friend in Toronto who misses home. The best gifts in these cases are rarely the most expensive. They are the ones that bring back a feeling – a word, a view, a taste – and remind someone that home has not forgotten them. Here are our favourite ideas.
1. A word that means home
Irish has some beautiful words for home and belonging, and a single word on the wall can say more than a long letter.
- Abhaile (uh-WAL-ya) – home, homeward, the feeling of going home. Try the Abhaile sage green word print.
- Tír dhúchais (teer GHOO-khish) – homeland, the land you come from.
- Dúchas (DOO-khus) – heritage, roots, the nature you inherit from your people. A lovely choice for the Irish diaspora: the Dúchas definition print.
A single word works especially well for someone who is not a fluent speaker. It is easy to remember, easy to explain to visitors, and it carries a whole story with it.
2. A saying about home
The proverb Níl aon tinteán mar do thinteán féin (neel ayn CHIN-tawn mar duh HIN-tawn fayn) means "there is no hearth like your own hearth" – the Irish way of saying there's no place like home. For someone abroad it works two ways: a nod to the home they have made, and to the one they left behind. Our green polka-dot home proverb print was made with exactly that in mind.
Another favourite is Slán abhaile (slawn uh-WAL-ya) – "safe home", what you say to someone heading off at the end of the night. See the Slán Abhaile typography print.
And for the adventurer in the family there is Bíonn siúlach scéalach (BEE-un SHOO-lukh SHKAY-lukh) – "a traveller has tales to tell". It is a cheerful reminder that time away brings its own riches.
3. A piece of the Irish landscape
Sometimes what people miss most is the land itself: the Atlantic crashing against the cliffs, the stone walls, the green fields running down to the sea. A painting of a familiar coastline can bring all of that rushing back.
Our Fanad Head lighthouse print captures one of Donegal's most dramatic spots, and you will find coasts, castles, villages and farm scenes in the full Irish Oil Paintings collection. If you know the county they come from, it is worth looking for a scene that matches – a west coast harbour for someone from Clare or Kerry, a rolling green field for someone raised on a farm.
4. A map of Ireland
A map is a simple, powerful reminder of where someone belongs. Many people living abroad love to point out their home county to visitors and tell the story of where they grew up.
The Irish wildflower map print fills the outline of Éire with flowers – soft, pretty and perfect for a hallway.
5. The Claddagh
The Claddagh design takes its name from the old fishing village of Claddagh, just outside Galway city. Its three parts each carry a meaning:
- The hands – friendship
- The heart – love
- The crown – loyalty
Claddagh rings have been handed down through Irish families for generations, and the symbol is recognised around the world as a sign of Irish identity.
Our Claddagh Éire print comes in ten colourways, so you can match it to their home. For more pieces like this, browse our Irish Heritage Prints.
6. Something for the Irish speaker or learner
Plenty of people abroad keep up their Irish, or start learning it for the first time, as a way of staying close to home. For them, a print with a well-known phrase about the language itself is a lovely choice. Tír gan teanga, tír gan anam – "a country without a language is a country without a soul" – is one of the most famous sayings about Irish. See the Tír Gan Teanga retro tulip print.
7. A little taste of home
Not every gift needs to hang on a wall. Some of the most welcome parcels contain:
- A box of their favourite Irish tea and a packet of the biscuits they grew up with
- A jersey from their home county or local club
- A novel or a book of poems by an Irish writer
- A recording of traditional music, or a playlist of songs from home
- A handwritten letter with all the local news
Pair the tea with a print for the kitchen – cupán tae (KUP-awn tay) simply means a cup of tea, and our green stripe Cupán Tae print has a cosy, cottage feel.
Tips for sending a print abroad
- Order early around Christmas and St Patrick's Day, when international post gets busy.
- Think about frame sizes in their country – a standard size is easier to frame locally.
- Add a note explaining the Irish if the gift is for someone still learning the language, or for their children.
- Think about where it will hang. A hallway print greets them every time they come in the door; a kitchen print keeps them company over the morning cup of tea.
Our prints are made to order on premium semi-glossy 200 gsm paper and shipped unframed, so they travel flat and light and can be framed to suit their home.
Send a little bit of home
Whatever you choose, the thought is what they will remember – that someone back home was thinking of them. Have a look through all our prints, and remember that 10% off everything is applied automatically at checkout.
Go raibh maith agat – Adam