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Claddagh Rings
"Free With Every Order While Stocks Last"
A Hand Cut Irish Crystal Shot Glass
Embossed With The Celtic Trinity Knot
Value $24.95
But Only While Stocks Last!
Claddagh Rings
Whats all the fuss about
Claddagh as a symbol, is one of the most famous Irish symbols there is. As Claddagh rings are today loved and adored by many people the world over, not only as a ring, but also for what their Claddagh Rings bring to their sense of spirit and romance. If you have never owned any Claddagh Rings, well let us try to tell you a little of the Claddagh Ring history and then you decide.
As with all good legends there is a mixture of truth and tall tale mixed together to tell the story.
Claddagh Rings
The story of the Claddagh begins in a little fishing village in Galway, Ireland called strangely enough, Claddagh.
It is mid 17th century and our hero of this story is a man called Richard Joyce.
Richard is an ordinary farm hand who has no idea that he will be the goldsmith that will create the now world famous Claddagh ring.
Richard has the misfortune to be captured by British soldiers who enslave him and tear him from the arms of all those who love him, he is palced on a slave ship that is to take him along with many others to be sold as slave to West Indies plantation owners as was common practise at that time.
On route to the Indies the ship encountered bad weather and sustained damage, as a result of the damage the ship was reduced to only a fraction of the knots it could normally make.
While in this condition the ship was attacked by Mediterranean pirates, many were killed, and even more were taken hostage. It seemed that Richard was destined to be a slave no matter what way destiny moved.
Richard was then sold by the pirates to a Moorish goldsmith, and so began Richards life as a slave.
The Moore was actually a kind and gentle man, who over the time and years began to love Richard as his own son.
So as any good father would, he thought his son his craft, the smithing of precious metals.
Over the time Richard became quite good at his new skills, and made many wonderful and exquisite pieces for his master.
Now back in England the slave laws were being changed, and slavery was now considered to be unfashionable, and this was being closely watched in Ireland by Richards family, so his family made a plea to the then King William 3rd , but this went unnoticed.
Then as good faith would have it a Spainish ship that had been blown off course in bad weather docked in Galway Bay.
The Spainish thinking they had discovered some new country, were disappointed to discover that it was only Ireland they had found as they had been bound for the Indies.
But they were interested to hear how their new friends worked and lived as Spain and England were on unfriendly terms at that time.
It was through this that they learned of the plight of Richard Joyce, and of how pleas for help to retrive him had gone unnoticed.
So word was quickly sent back to Spain to Queen Isabella, she had been looking for a way to begin talking to the British, so Richard and his plight was taken to heart by the Queen.
King William in England was relieved to see that there was an opportunity to begin talks with the Spainish and he took up Richards cause also. So negotiations began for his release, the Moore was eventually tracked down and was offered a handsome price for the release of Richard, but he would not accept any money for him as he looked upon him as a son.
When he told Richard of what was happening, he left it for him to make up his own mind as to what he wished to do, and to try to tempt him to stay he offered him his daughters hand in marriage and half of his entire wealth.
But Richard chose to return to his beloved Ireland, where family and loved ones were waiting.
So it was in the year 1689 Richard returned to the little fishing of Claddagh in Galway, to celebrate his return he decided to fashion a ring to thank all of those who had helped him and those who had waited for him.
Claddagh Rings
So what we have today is a ring that is steeped in history and legend, so what does the symbols adorned on the ring mean ??
Good question,
well we have the Crown at the top of the ring which represents the English crown.
We have the cuffs either side of the ring at the base of the hands, this represents the Spainish sailors who brought his tale to Queen Isabella.
We have the two hands that stretch from one side of the ring to the other along the stem which represents the world.
Both of the hands touch one big heart in the centre which represents that even though he was on the other side of the world, his heart was still in the village of Claddagh with his family and loved ones.
So what did Richard decide to call his masterpiece, why yes you guessed it, The Claddagh Ring.
Claddagh Rings
Richard dedicated the ring to his future wife Mary, and so it was that the first Claddagh marriage happened.
The story of Richard and his Claddagh ring spread around Ireland, and of course the Irish being the Irish began to tell stories of Richard and of how he had fought 10,000 Moorish soldiers with just a spoon and WON.
Then and of how he had swam half way back around the world after his epic spoon battle to arrive back in Ireland just in time for a few pints of a certain "black beer" and a spot of dinner.
Seriously, the ring became famous in Ireland because at that time it represented to the ordinary Irish man and woman, how one man could remain faithful to a Love for his country, and maintain loyalty to his future wife, and to sow the seeds of friendship with a person that had at one time been his captor.
So the ring became a symbol for what it was to posess an Irish soul, it was not long after that it became traditional for the Claddagh to be worn as a wedding ring in Ireland.
Mothers passed it to their daughters and so on in the true Claddagh spirit of , Love, Loyalty and Friendship.
When the Great Famine happened in Ireland, many many millions of Irish people died, and it was at this time that the Irish exidous began.
So it was in the 1800s that the Irish began to leave in earnest, and they settled all over the world.
With the great upheaval they also took with them their traditions and beliefs, and of course the Claddagh.
For many the Claddagh was to become practically the only enduring link they had with their country and for many their only savings or family inheritance,(as the Claddagh was always made from gold at that time)
Today the Claddagh has become famous for its quality of love, the words Love, Loyalty and Friendship have become the backbone of the Claddagh, and it is with this that so many people all over the world have become fans and loyal advocates of the Claddagh traditions.
How do I wear Claddagh Rings ??
Simple, as follows,
Worn on the right hand with the heart facing out will tell the world that the wearers heart has yet to be won.
While under the magic of love the ring is worn with the heart facing inwards. Wearing the ring on the left hand with the heart facing inwards, signifies that two loves have become one and have joined forever
Check Out Our Claddagh Rings Here
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