Funny Limericks: Many to Choose From, But These are the Funniest Few!

Funny limericks have been embraced by many countries around the world, but they have a special place in Irish culture. From some of their earliest appearances in Edward Lear's The Book of Nonsense to today's modern masterpieces, limericks have caused millions of laughs with their simple, clever, often somewhat off-color humor.

Here is a collection of funny ones. For many more examples, check out our main section on Limerick Poems. In the meantime, please enjoy our selection of funny Irish limericks!

Many Kinds of Limericks

As we have mentioned several times, no topic is safe from funny limericks. These little poems, like other forms of Irish humor can be quite irreverent - in addition to being hysterically funny.

Neatness

Why is it so tempting to make fun of the neatniks among us? I dunno. It just is.

There was a young fellow of Crete
Who was so exceedingly neat.
When he got out of bed,
He stood on his head
To make sure of not soiling his feet.

Personal Fragrance

Yep - perfume is funny. No matter what you call it. But this is the first time I've seen anything rhyme with 'Millicent..." Wait for it ...

The bottle of scent Willie sent
Was quite displeasing to Millicent.
Her thanks were so cold
That they quarreled, I'm told,
'Bout that silly scent Willie sent Millicent.”

Large Families

I come from a large family, so this one hit my funnybone. Apologies in advance for the crude finish. But ... funny you have to admit.

There was a girl from Rabat,
Who had triplets, Nat, Pat and Tat;
It was fun in the breeding,
But hell in the feeding,
When she found she had no tit for Tat.

The Cost of Healthcare

I have 8 kids and have spent a significant portion of my life in the emergency room (and even more in the waiting room). I can relate.

A patient who kept getting worse
Cried out ‘I must go home now, nurse!
You've done all your best
And performed every test
But I've come to the end of my purse!

Marriage...

I intended to show one limerick under each topic. But these ... were too good. Had to include them both.

There once was a young man from Lyme
Who married three wives at a time.
When asked, "Why a third?"
He replied, "One's absurd,
And bigamy, sir, is a crime!"

At times I’m so mad that I’m hopping.
My angriness sets my veins popping.
I yell and I curse,
With swearwords diverse,
But my wife does much worse: she goes shopping"

Painful Accidents

Can anybody explain what is so funny about bizarre painful accidents? Me neither. But there is no denying it...

There was a young fellow named Hall
Who fell in the spring in the fall.
'Twould have been a sad thing
Had he died in the spring,
But he didn't - he died in the fall.

There was a young fellow from Belfast
That I wanted so badly to tell fast
Not to climb up the stair
As the top step was air.
And that’s why the young fellow fell fast.

There was a young lady named Harris,
Whom nothing could ever embarrass,
Till the bath salts one day
In the tub where she lay
Turned out to be plaster of Paris

Science!

For this one I must thank Chloe Nannestad and her contribution to Reader's Digest in May, 2023. Subtle but hilarious...

An amoeba named Max and his brother,
Were sharing a drink with each other;
In the midst of their quaffing,
They split themselves laughing,
And each of them now is a mother.

One More Funny Limerick ...

This one was submitted anonymously to our site. I first saw it years ago in the Princeton Tiger newsletter. We appreciate the 'clean' version of a Nantucket limerick!

There once was a man from Nantucket,
Who kept all his cash in a bucket.
His daughter, named Nan
Ran away with a man,
And as for the bucket, Nantucket.

Nantucket limerick on a framed background.

NAN took it... get it?

Want More Information on Irish Limericks?

We have much, much more to share! Continue to explore this unique poetic style in our main section on Irish Limerick poems.

There you will find hundreds of examples of limericks organized by type, making it easy to find what you are looking for!

Want More Irish Sayings?

It is probably obvious - at Irish Expressions, we love Irish wit and wisdom! Knowing the perfect Irish 'thing to say' on any occasion gives us a deeper sense of connection with Ireland, wherever in the world we happen to be!

To help you build your own personal Irish vocabulary, we have over the years created many downloadable, share-able Irish games, puzzles, recipes, songbooks, quizzes, and much, much more.

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What's Next?

Irreverent humor is an essential part of Irish culture and heritage. You can share limericks like these during special occasions to celebrate your personal Irish side!

For more information of this type, you may want to visit our main section on famous Irish sayings here.

And if you enjoyed this page in particular, please share your feedback, opinions and stories with your Irish Expressions community! You can do that by visiting us on Facebook.

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