WHAT IS A CLADDAGH WEDDING RING?
” Many stories surround the the origins of the Claddagh Ring. Rings like the Claddagh ring have been worn in Brittany and in Spain, as well as Ireland. Gaelic literature throws no light on the mystery of the emblem’s origin. We know for sure that Claddagh Ring has been around for at least 300 years and that Richard Joyce is the earliest known maker of this unique ring. He flourished as a craftsman in gold and silver in Galway up to about 1730. Some of his Claddagh Rings and Silver Chalices are kept in Museums and collections throughout Ireland. Whether the Claddagh symbolism was originally his design we will never know. No one knows why they are named for the quaint village of the Claddagh as they were worn all across Galway County, but it is certain that by the mid 1880’s they were extremely popular there. They were viewed as family heirlooms and passed from grandmother to granddaughter. They were used as wedding rings, and the Claddagh residents often scrimped and saved to be able to
