The Irish people are unique in that they composed and used an entire range of traditional prayers completely separate from the Church's Liturgy (which was always in Latin). These extra-liturgical prayers were said at every occasion, from the moment one arose to the final 'goodnight'.
In general, the spiritual World was as vivid to the Irish mind as the visible and material one. This has often been commented on down the centuries, and indeed seems to have been especially characteristic of the Celtic peoples even before their conversion to the Catholic Faith (not to mention during the present period of lapsation). As late as the beginning of the Twentieth Century, although the commonest greeting was 'Dia dhuit' or 'Dia 's Muire dhuit' ('God be with you' or 'God and Mary be with you') some were in the habit of addressing a single person in the plural form (which in Irish is never used as a 'polite' address to one person): - 'Dia dhaoibh' or 'Dia 's Muire dhaoibh' - addressing both the person and their Guardian angel.