The Claddagh Ring

When worn with the heart facing outwards towards the finger nail we even call it a friendship ring. By the year 1900 the Claddagh ring had become as important to the mythology of the city as the 14 merchant families, or tribes, that led Galway as a virtual city-state during much of the 13th through 17th centuries.
There are a number of tales regarding the origin of the Claddagh ring mostly connecting it with Galway. It is said that Adding to the intrigue is the simple fact that no one can say for certain just where the ring originated, who made it first, or exactly what its connexion with the Claddagh is. The name of Richard Joyes is connected with one of the stories of the Claddagh ring while in the West Indies; he was captured by Algerian pirates and was sold to a jewellers as a slave. He worked for the Goldsmith until King William III demanded immediate release of all British subjects. Richard’s boss offered him his daughter as a wife but he returned to Galway where he opened a jeweller’s, his most famous creation being the Claddagh ring – some of which, bearing Joyes distinctive jeweller's mark, still exist today. As for the ring's association with the Claddagh, it might well have been an accident But as with all things of this nature, there may well be far more to the truth than the evidence that we have, and anything is possible. So it is that the true history of this, the most famous of Irish rings, remains elusive.
Click here to view the cost of Claddagh Rings.