Irish Limericks Game:  Add Side-Splitting Humor to Your Next Irish Occasion!

This Irish limericks game is a fun way to bring Irish humor into your world.  To be most effective, you will need to take two simple steps.  Step 1: Get informed. Visit our section on Limerick Poems, for a quick overview of the Limerick style, including hundreds of entertaining examples.  

Step 2:  Then come back, and cruise to victory in the Limericks party game we will share with you below.  Play the game individually or as a team!

Ready?  (Make sure to complete Step 1...) 

Ok, let's go!

Here is What You Will Need

• Printed Irish Limericks game cards – one per team or contestant.  You can download the one we provide below, or you can make your own. 

• If you prefer to make your own, you can visit our many pages on Irish limericks for ideas.  You might start with our article on how to write a limerick!

• A method of judging the answer forms.  We like to select three guests (or sometimes the hosts) to be the judging ‘panel.’ 

• If you do have live judges, make sure you select people who will make funny comments about the contestants’ answers.

• If you use the ‘individual’ approach below, somebody (usually the host) will need to judge the responses and announce the winners.

• A method of keeping time (if you use the group version). 

• Prizes for the winners (typically an Irish-themed first, second and third prize)

For a Free, Printable Version of our Irish Limericks Game Card,
Fill out the Form Below

Irish Limericks Game:  A Team Approach

First, divide into teams and hand each team a game card – face down on the table in front of them.  Then share the rules:

• They will have 15 minutes

• They should ‘fill in the blank’ for each limerick on their game card as a group

• The goal is: to end up with the ‘best’ limerick that follows all the rules of limerick poems

• Start the clock – teams turn over their game cards and begin

• After 15 minutes, instruct each team to rank their own responses from 1 (best) to 5 (worst).  The total number can vary based on the game card you choose / create and the amount of time available.

• Then have each team take turns reading their masterpieces to the judges.  Round 1 is for their ‘best’ responses, round 2 for the next best and so on.

• After each round, the judges comment on the contestants and vote for the winner of that round.  Judges should be looking for:

             - Does the masterpiece follow the ‘rules’ of a limerick?

             - Does it make sense?

             - Is it unusually funny, creative or memorable?

             - Was it well presented?

The winning team has the most total votes from the judges after all rounds are completed

An Individual Approach

As guests arrive, hand them a game card.  Then, early in the party, pause the action and explain the rules.

• Everybody fills in the blanks in their game card to make Irish limericks that are funny, creative or in some way memorable

• They should sign their name to their card. They should fill in the blanks at some point during the party.

• By a certain deadline, every card will have been collected.  Designate a location or container to hold the game cards.

• Make sure all guests complete the cards.  Sometimes we like to offer an Irish-themed party favor just for playing the game.

• At the designated time, they should place their completed cards in the designated area.  There should be enough time for the judge(s) to review the cards, choose the winner(s) and gather their thoughts on how to present the winning cards.

Sometime before the end of the party, the judge(s) should announce the winners.  

We like to read 1-3 Irish limericks from the winning card (if they are entertaining), and explain the reason for our choices of first, second and third-prize winners.

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.

Want them right now?  Keep reading to learn about "Your Irish Expressions Playbook."

Very Fun!   What Comes Next?

Limericks are an essential part of Irish culture and heritage. Share them during special occasions, to celebrate Irish culture and express your personal Irish side!

For more information of this type, you may want to pay a visit to our main section on Irish Sayings here!

More Fun With Irish Expressions

Congratulations on learning more about the Emerald Isle and discovering what we like to call your "Irish Side."  You may be thinking "I'd love to actually VISIT Ireland but that's really not in the cards right now.  What am I supposed to do with the stuff I just learned?"

Well never fear!  Since 2009 we have collected all of the best printable, shareable resources we could find, to help you put your new knowledge of Ireland to good use.  We've put them all together in a single download we call "Your Irish Expressions Playbook," which contains over 50 pages of games, puzzles, recipes, songbooks, quizzes, travel guides and much, much more.

Purchase them ALL for one small price, print as many copies as you like and share them with your friends - with no limitations!   But order soon - we are already adding to the Playbook for future editions and this price will not last long. 

Oh, want one more reason to order right away?  If you buy YOUR copy of the Playbook now, you will be allowed to upgrade to any new future edition for FREE.

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