THE CLADDAGH RING AND WHAT IT SYMBOLIZES

Irish jewelry designs are cherished by many, but there are none more iconic than the fáinne Chladaigh.

Claddagh is the name of a section of Galway City that centuries ago was a small fishing village outside the city.  The ring takes its name from this historic location.

The ring has three main elements - a heart, which is clasped by a pair of hands which, in turn, has a crown above it. The hands signify friendship, the heart embodies love, and the crown represents loyalty.  Associated with the symbolic crown are sentiments such as: "This is my heart which I give to you crowned with my love" and "Let love and friendship reign."

In addition to the meaning of the heart, the hands and crown, how one wears the Claddagh ring also sends a message.

Wearing a Claddagh ring on the right hand with the design facing outward generally means that the wearer is not involved in a promising relationship. Placement on the right hand facing inward means that one has fallen in love. Wearing the ring on the left hand with the design facing outward is meant to convey that the wearer is engaged, while having the ring on the left hand facing in means one is married.

It is this symbolism that has led to the enduring legacy of this particular piece of Irish jewelry.  In Ireland, the United States, and other places, the Claddagh is often handed down mother-to-eldest daughter or grandmother-to-granddaughter.

Galway has produced such rings continuously since at least 1700, but the term "Claddagh ring" was not used before the 1840s.  Bartholomew Fallon, for instance, was a 17th-century Galway goldsmith who made the rings until around 1700. His name first appears in the will of one Dominick Martin, also a jeweler, dated January 26, 1676, in which Martin willed Fallon some of his tools. Fallon continued working as a goldsmith until 1700. His are among the oldest surviving examples of what we now call the Claddagh ring, many of them bearing his signature.
 
There are many legends surrounding the Claddagh ring, but its significance is generally attributed to Richard Joyce, a goldsmith from Claddagh.

One day, Joyce departed by ship from the town of Claddagh towards the plantations of the West Indies. He was soon to be married, but his ship was captured by Algerian pirates and the crew sold as a slaves. Joyce was sold to a Moorish goldsmith who trained him in making jewelry. He soon became a master and created a ring for his sweetheart at home. In 1689, he was released. He returned to Claddagh and was reunited with his beloved. He gave her the ring he had crafted during his enslavement, signifying their lasting love, and they married at long last.