CLADDAGH RING & VILLAGE HISTORY, LEGENDS & TOUR! IRELAND!
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- Опубліковано 2 жов 2024
- Love, Loyalty and Friendship. Those three powerful words make up the meaning of the ring worn throughout five different centuries, by millions of Irish, and those of us with Celtic ancestry. Even if you haven’t had one yourself, chances are you have seen someone wearing one, or at least seen the image somewhere. It has become a fashionable way to celebrate one’s heritage and pride of their Celtic roots. It is surprising that even with the ring’s popularity, very few know the origin of the ring and where it came from. In this video we will tell you the history, the legends, and the love story of the ring. We will also take you to the small fishing village where it all began. The Claddagh Ring, a symbol of Irish love and pride.
Recently we visited the exact location of the small fishing village of Claddagh, which today is inside the city of Galway, Ireland. We were thrilled to walk the exact shore that the historic rings were first made and we wanted to share that experience with you.
The ring is comprised of three things that symbolize something important to a successful relationship. The first is the heart which symbolizes love, the second is the crown which represents loyalty, and the third is the hands which stand for friendship. These three virtues are crucial to any successful relationship. Also, it’s important to understand how to wear the Claddagh ring. When worn on the right hand, with the crown inward, it means the wearer is single. If the ring is on the right hand with the crown outward, it means they are in a relationship. If the ring is on the left hand, with the crown inward, it means they are engaged to be married, and finally if worn on the left hand, with the crown outward, it means they are married.
If worn as a wedding ring, the Claddagh ring design symbolizes the wedding vow “With my hands, I give you my heart, and crown it with my love.”
The most popular legend about how the ring came abou is the story of Richard Joyce who was a man who lived in Claddagh. Around the year 1675, Joyce was deeply in love with his sweet heart and engaged to be married to her as soon as he returned from a business trip to the West Indies. Unfortunately, on his journey his ship was attacked by North African Arab pirates and he was taken prisoner. Soon the pirates sold Joyce into slavery but as fate would have it, he was somewhat lucky and was purchased by an Arab goldsmith who taught him the trade of jewelry making.
Richard Joyce was a slave, but it is said that his life wasn’t all that bad. He could come and go about as he pleased, he worked inside making jewelry instead of a manual labor job like many slaves suffered with. They say he even developed a deep friendship with his master and was treated like a member of the family. Joyce's love for his sweetheart inspired him to create a symbol of his love and he used his new skill of jewelry making to fashion the first version of the ring that would eventually become world famous.
Fourteen years passed and eventually the British King William III worked out a deal with the King of Algeria the included the release of all The Crown’s subjects, including Richard Joyce and he began his journey home.
It had been fourteen years and he knew that it was highly likely that she had married another in his absence. Joyce was driven by his love for her, and knew that he just had return home, and hope for the best. Upon arrival to his home of Claddagh he found that his sweetheart had never given up hope that he would return and she had never married. They didn’t delay and were married immediately with the ring that Joyce had fashioned for her.
Today The Claddagh is part of the city of Galway and it’s hard to imagine it in the time of Richard Joyce. The small fishing village was outside of the city’s walls, just on the opposite side of the mouth of the River Corrib, where it flows into Galway Bay. In the Irish language Claddagh means, “stony beach”, or “foreshore”, which is the land between the water and developed land. It was a grouping of houses where the fishermen lived. Their wives sold their wares at the fish market at the Spanish Arch, which was a gate in the medieval walls of Galway, and one of the last remaining sections that still stands today.
Many of the folks from Claddagh and Galway are believed to be descended from the Black Irish, or Spanish settlers that were part of the Spanish Armada that were shipwrecked along the coast of Ireland in 1588.
Just inside the Spanish Arch is the Galway Museum, that upstairs has an amazing exhibit about Claddagh. Here you will find scores of photos, paintings, drawings, articles, artifacts and more pertaining to the famous historic little village.
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My mother was from the Claddagh way back when there were still thatched cottages. As a result I have always worn a Claddagh ring , since I was about 12 I’m now 63 so have worn one for 51 years. I always visit the Claddagh when I visit Galway and walk along Fairhill where my mum lived.
Thank you for the history. I had one of these rings when I met my future husband. The ring is what brought us together. We got talking about the ring. cause after a few years someone took it. I have been looking for one ever since
What a great story, at least the beginning of it. You should definitely be able to find many of them online.
What do you mean someone ended it?
I believe some folk filed the crown off the rings as they viewed it as a royalist symbol rather than representing loyalty to the loved one.
I've never seen one in the wild though, but I think some are in the Galway museum.
Very good.One thing though that is a myth and i can't blame you for mentioning it ,its believed by the vast majority of irish people that the dark features are the result of shipwrecked armada sailors intermarrying with the locals.West of ireland folk have been mixing with iberians but that goes back millenia and would have continued up to that time,but the armada couldn't possibly added much to that,the vast majority of the sailors ,died ,captured and executed or escaped back to spain.Some would have been sheltered by native gaelic lords and may be married a local girl,but not to any substantial degree.I live in county sligo there was a huge armada shipwreck here , and there was french troops from the 1798 rebellion ,they are some french surnames from that time not very many of course,but they are a few however no spanish names AFAIK.
Yes sir, definitely a myth & that’s why I worded it “some say”. It’s a common thing that I have heard all my life but we certainly know that doesn’t mean that it is true. It’s amazing how much folks moved around even a thousand years ago.
Aye, trade between the west and Iberia/North Africa was going on for way longer than a lot of people think.
There's a theory that the similarities of flamenco and sean-os dancing is because of this. Not sure if this is actually the case though.
Also, the west was a common landfall for returning pirates to Europe. Amongst the more notorious were some of Henry Avery's crew turning up in Westport.
It means love loyalty and friendship
Thank you for your videos, just discovered them today 😊.
I asked my husband for a Claddagh for our 10th anniversary. Had I known of the Claddagh when we got engaged, I would never have bothered with the silly diamond 💍😁. When I lost my darling husband to cancer, I got a memorial tattoo of the Claddagh…on my left wrist…crown facing out! (Couldn’t wear my ring on the job)
Off to google for a silicone Claddagh, cheers!
That is a wonderful story Ma’am, thanks for sharing that. A great example how connections to our ancestors give things more meaning in our lives.
🇩🇿❤🇩🇿❤
Beautiful history lovely can’t wait to visit 🍀
I miss understood you...I do apologize...💚
No worries at all Ma’am!
Very interesting video!
Thanks Judy!