History of Irish Wedding Rings
The Irish wedding ring--called a claddagh--dates back at least 300 years. It has risen from humble beginnings in an isolated Irish fishing village to become one of the most popular and recognizable pieces of Celtic jewelry in the world. A claddagh ring features a heart encircled by two hands and topped by a crown, which symbolize friendship, love and loyalty. The origins of the ring are as romantic as the jewelry itself.
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The Name
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The ring originated in The Claddagh, a small fishing village near Galway, Ireland. According to claddagh.kaijewels.com, “claddagh” comes from the Celtic phrase “an cladach,” meaning “a flat stony shore.” Residents of The Claddagh seldom mingled with outsiders. The first claddagh rings were made in The Claddagh, and they were exclusive to this isolated village for many years--though legends differ on whether it was divine inspiration or human love responsible for the ring's design.
A Heavenly Gift
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In 1596, The Claddagh resident Margaret Joyce married the mayor of Galway, according to the website claddaghrings.com. Margaret, used her inheritance from her first husband to build bridges all over Connacht Province--earning her the nickname Margaret of the Bridges. The tale goes that one day an eagle flew overhead and dropped a gold ring in her lap as a reward from heaven for her good works; the ring was handed down through her family, eventually inspiring goldsmith Richard Joyce.
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The Lovesick Slave
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Richard Joyce was a fisherman in The Claddagh, captured by pirates and sold into slavery shortly before his wedding. Richard was bought by a Moorish goldsmith and learned the craft, making a Claddagh-style ring for his lost fiancee. Freed, Richard returned to Galway and married the girl he loved with the ring he had made in captivity. They set up a goldsmithy in The Claddagh; the earliest claddagh rings are marked with his initials, R.J.
The Exodus
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For a while ,the claddagh ring was unique to that fishing village near Galway. Then the Great Potato Famine scattered the inhabitants of Ireland, and the popularity of the claddagh ring as a wedding ring spread around the world. Trendsetters Queen Victoria and King Edward VII both wore one, and according to claddaghringking.com, more than 200 claddagh rings were recovered from the rubble after the attack on the World Trade Center in 2001.
Wearing a Claddagh
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If a claddagh ring is worn on the right hand with the crown pointed out (away from the wrist), it means the wearer is looking for love; if worn on the right hand with the crown pointed in (toward the wrist), it means they are widowed or “not interested.” It is an engagement ring when worn on the left hand with the crown pointed out, and when worn on the left hand with the crown pointed in, it is an Irish wedding ring.
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References
- Photo Credit claddaugh ring image by Tanya McConnell from Fotolia.com
