The Claddagh ring is so called because it is believed to have originated in the village of Claddagh, in county Galway, and is unique insofar as it is the only ring in the world of a distinctive design used exclusively by a small community for over 400 years. "Claddagh" in Irish Gaelic means a village situated near the seashore. In Galway this village was outside the walls and was divided from the city by the River Corrib. It was irregularly built but very extensive, and was the residence of the first Celtic settlers in this area. It was an exclusive community, and strangers were never allowed to settle amongst the original inhabitants. From time immemorial the village was ruled by one of its inhabitants, periodically elected, who was called the King of Claddagh. He administered the local laws and settled all disputes according to age-old customs. His distinctive mark was a white sail at the masthead of his boat when the fishing fleet put out to sea. The sole occupation of this colony was fishing; in fact, they were not allowed to use spade or hoe. The municipality of Galway compensated them for their fish by giving them sustenance in all their needs.
The village of Claddagh has long since disappeared, having been absorbed by the expansion of the city of Galway itself.
The original Claddagh ring is generally attributed to one Richard Joyce, who departed from Claddagh on a ship enroute to the plantations of the West Indies. He was to was to be married within a short time,
but his ship was captured by Algerian pirates in the Mediterranean, and the members of the crew were sold as slaves; Joyce
was sold to a Moorish goldsmith who trained him in his craft. He soon became a master of his trade, and handcrafted a ring for the lady back
in Ireland whom he could never forget.
After William III ascended the throne of England he concluded an agreement whereby all his subjects who where held in captivity by the Moors were
to be allowed return to their homes. The Moorish goldsmith offered Richard his only daughter in marriage and half his wealth if he would remain in
Algiers. Joyce declined the goldsmith's generous offer in favor of his liberty, and returned to Claddagh in the year 1689 to find that the woman of his heart had never married. He gave her the very first Claddagh ring,
made by him while far away from Ireland, and they were married soon afterwards.
He then set up a goldsmith's shop in his home village of Claddagh. The earliest Claddagh
rings to be traced bear his mark and the initial letters of his name; R.I. (Richard Joyes, or Joyce; in medieval times, the letter "J" was written as an "I".) Some of his work, stamped with his mark, an anchor signifying hope, and the initials R.I., is still in existence.
By tradition the ring is taken to signify the wish that love and friendship should reign supreme, and consists of two hands presenting a heart to the beloved. Over the heart is a design representing a crown or coronet. The hands signify friendship, the crown loyalty,
and the heart abiding love. The ring has become popular outside Connemara since the middle of the last century; its spread being helped by the vast exodus
from the West of Ireland during the Great Famine of 1847-49. These rings were kept as heirlooms with great pride, and were passed from mother to daughter over many generations. Even to the present day the ring is associated with special customs; for instance, it is considered unlucky for someone from the original area of Claddagh to buy a ring; they should acquire one only by way of a gift.
The Claddagh ring became popular outside of Ireland about the middle of the last century, after it became known that it was the only item of jewelry made in the "Emerald Isle" to have been worn by the British Queen Victoria, and later by her son, King Edward VII.
Today the ring is worn extensively across Ireland and indeed around the world, either on the right hand with the heart turned outwards showing that
the wearer is "fancy free" or alternatively
with the heart turned inwards to denote that he or she is "spoken for". Needless to say, pride of place is on the left hand, with the heart turned in,
indicating
that the wearer is happily committed or married, and that their love, loyalty and friendship will last forever.
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