Who would have traditionally received a Claddagh Ring?
The Claddagh ring belongs to a widespread group of finger rings called “Fede Rings” from the the Italian phrase mani in fede (hands in trust). They date from Roman times when the gesture of clasped right hands (dextrarum iunctio) symbolized marriage. Fede rings are distinguished by having the bezel cut or cast in the form of two clasped hands, symbolizing faith, trust or “plighted troth”. They were popular in the Middle Ages throughout Europe, and there are examples from this time in the National Museum of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin. The Claddagh ring is a particularly distinctive ring; two hands clasp a heart surmounted by a crown.[2] There are also many legends about the origins of the ring. One tale is about Margaret Joyce, a woman of the Joyce clan. She married a Spanish merchant named Domingo de Rona. She went with him to Spain, but he died and left her a large sum of money. She returned to Ireland and, in 1596, married Oliver Óg Ffrench, the mayor of Galway. With the money s
