Focal an Lae: Meitheal

Monday, 5 October 2026

Meitheal (MEH-hal) is the Irish for a work party.

Neighbours gathering to get one farm's work done, then moving on to the next, with no money changing hands. It is the old Irish answer to a job too big for one house, and the word is still used for anything done by a crowd pulling together.

Other days

Aiteall, the day after

A new Irish word every morning, 386 of them in the round, with the feast days of the Irish year keeping their own. Today’s word. More in the phrases, the names and the place names.