The Legend Of The Claddaugh

There are many stories about the claddaugh ring. Claddaugh is a small fishing village near Galway City.  The Claddaugh ring supposedly originated in this area. The ring has a design of a heart being held by a pair of delicate hands with a crown above the heart. It was the symbol of "Fishing Kings of Claddaugh." 'meaning in love and friendship let us reign'

In the seventeenth century the symbol was first depicted on a ring for sweethearts or marriage. For sweethearts or friends the heart was worn towards the fingertips in  marriage it the heart is worn towards the wrist.

It symbolizes LOVE(the heart) FRIENDSHIP AND FAITH (the hands) and LOYALTY and FIDELITY ( the crown)

it is also thought to symbolize the holy trinity THE FATHER ( the crown)  THE SON ( the  hands) and the HOLY GHOST ( the heart)

In all storys behind this ring all signify that love and friendship should reign supreme

The  earliest Claddaugh rings are traced back to Richard Joyce. They bear his mark and initials of his name.
This story begins where Joyce departed from Claddaugh on a ship enroute to the plantations of the West Indies.  He was to be married on his return, but his ship was captured by Algerian pirates who sold the crew into slavery. Richard Joyce was sold to a goldsmith who trained him into his craft.  He soon became a master of the trade and hand crafted a ring for the woman at home he could not forget. In 1689 he was released after William III took the throne of England. King William made an agreement whereby all his subjects who were held in captivity by the Moors were to be allowed to return to their homes. The Moorish goldsmith offered Robert Joyce his only daughter in marriage and half of his wealth if he would remain in Algiers. He declined and returned to Claddaugh to find that the woman of his heart had never married. He gave her the ring and they were married. He set up a goldsmith shop in the town of Claddaugh, and hence became the begining of the Claddaugh ring.

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