I checked on a lot of proverbs and found nothing specifically fitting what you want. I also looked in dictionaries for any phrases that might be close and concise (right living, etc.). Not that Labhrás’ translation is bad or anything, but I am tending toward something like “dea-bheathach agus dea-bhás” which is literally “a good life and a good death”. Sayings and proverbs in Irish often express things in this way, in opposites, and your grandfather being Irish may have had a natural tendency to express his sentiments so either in English or Irish. We’d have to get consensus on whether “good” here means “right” and whether this is a good way to approach this translation.

Cheers

Tim

I got “deagh-bhás” from Teaglann - dea-bhás, m. (gs. -áis). Happy death. ~ agus dea-lá chun na cille, a good death and a good day on one’s last journey.

Like you, it wouldn’t make much sense to me, only in a proverb or saying.

If we ever do come to some consensus ☺️ do you think rendering it in Old Irish would be good since it will be written in Ogham?

And how about something like

“Beo nó marbh, déan é go maith.”?