In Irish we are all taught at school that 'hello' is Dia Duit (god be with you), and that the reply is Dia is Muire duit (God and Mary be with you).
Some Protestants may not feel completely comfortable with that expression you may be thinking.
What did Protestants say when the language was spoken more widely (clearly many Protestants in the North spoke at least some Irish as a second language in times gone by, as well as a minority speaking Irish as a first language)?
Well, we know.
The intial greeting is the same (go mbeannaí) Dia dhuit but the reply is different -
Go mbeannaí an céanna dhuitse - may the same bless you.
nó ceann págánach ar fad -'Mora dhuit' - b'fhéidir? Mor = bandia mhór na cruinne ar fad ar fad, 'da big mamma bandia'.
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