The Straw That Broke the Camel's Back

“The straw that broke the camel’s back”  is such a vivid image.— that one tiny extra weight finally causes a collapse.
But, obviously, there are no camels in Ireland, so how do we say this in Irish?

Here are a few ways to get the same meaning across:

An buille marfach

An buille marfach means 'the deadly blow/strike', or the blow that finally killed something off.

B'in an buille marfach domsa / That was the final straw for me. (lit. the deadly strike)

Buille maraithe na muice

This one is even more graphic, and quite a bit more gruesome than the image of that final piece of straw landing on the poor camel's back!. 

Buille maraithe / a killing blow

na muice / of the pig

So, the final blow that killed the poor old muc / pig.

Buille na tubaiste

Tubaiste is the Irish for 'disaster', so 'buille na tubaiste' is the blow that caused the disaster. This captures the idea of catastrophe — the last, fatal strike that brings everything down.

From camels to pigs

These examples show very clearly that idioms don’t always match neatly between languages — and that’s part of the craic / fun (and sometimes the confusion!) for learners. The best way to get a feel for them is by reading and listening to lots of natural Irish, so you start to hear how people really use them.

So while English speakers talk about the straw that broke the camel’s back, in Irish we might talk about the final blow that killed the pig!
Different animals, different climates — but the same meaning behind both!

How to learn Irish

One of the best ways to learn Irish is by lots of reading and listening. Make sure to check out our sister website Listen Up Irish for courses and challenges with lots of listening and reading practice in Irish.