What would be the best way to say this? I suppose literally the best translation would be something like ní feárr ná a fhocal féin é an fear, but there must be a more idiomatic expression. This thread has many good proverbs that loosely partain to the same idea: https://www.daltai.com/discus/messages/ ... st%20sound.

Does anyone know any others, that may even be closer in meaning to the English correspondence?

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I'm an intermediate speaker of the Corca Dhuibhne dialect of Irish and also have knowledge on the old spelling
Soir gaċ síar, fé ḋeireaḋ thíar

Ní bheathaíonn na briathra na bráithre. "Fair words butter no parsnips."

Ní briathra a dhearbhaíos ach gníomh. "Actions speak louder than words."

Other related expressions:

beart a dhéanamh de réir do bhriathair. "to fit your actions to your words"

Fear i mbun a fhocail é. "He is a man who keeps his word."

Fear dá fhocal é. "He is a man of his word."

Is leor de bhannaí uaidh a fhocal. "His word is as good as his bond."

Ní chuireann sé lena fhocal. "He is not a man of his word."

Perhaps:

Ní féidir braith ar dhuine nach gcuireann lena fhocal. "A man who does not keep his word cannot be depended upon"

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Múinteoir Gaeilge - Irish Teacher
My "specialty" is Connemara Irish, particularly Cois Fhairrge dialect, but I can also speak Ulster and Munster Irish with native-level pronunciation.
Is fearr Gaeilge ḃriste ná Béarla cliste, cinnte, aċ i ḃfad níos fearr aríst í Gaeilge ḃinn ḃeo na nGaeltaċtaí.
Gaeilge Chonnacht (GC), go háraid Gaeilge Chois Fhairrge (GCF), Gaeilic Uladh (GU), Gaelainn na Mumhan (GM), agus Gaeilge an Chaighdeáin Oifigiúil (CO).