Anniversary Gift Idea: A Claddagh Ring

How To Wear a Claddagh Ring

A lot of people don't realize that the way you wear a claddagh ring has just as much meaning as the symbols carved into it. Depending on how a claddagh is worn, you can determine if someone is single, dating, engaged or married.

• Single: when worn on the right hand with the heart facing away. If you look down at your hand, the heart should be upside down.


• Dating: when worn on the right hand with the heart facing towards you. So when you look down at your hand, the heart is right side up.


• Engaged: when worn on the left hand with the heart facing away. If you look down at your hand, the heart should be upside down.


• Married: when worn on the left hand with the heart facing towards you. So when you look down at your hand, the heart is right side up.

The First Claddagh

Richard Joyce

No one really knows the true story of how the claddagh came to be, but that doesn't mean there's a shortage of stories! This is just one of many.

A young man from Galway by the name of Richard Joyce left his true love to make his fortune in the West Indies. As he sailed, his ship was captured by a band of pirates and he was sold as a slave to a Moorish goldsmith.
After many years of service to the goldsmith, Richard perfected the art of jewelry making himself and eventually became a master craftsman, earning the respect and admiration of his owner. When King William III negotiated the freedom of the slaves in 1689, the Moorish goldsmith offered Richard the hand of his daughter along with a healthy dowry. But Richard refused....His heart still lay in Ireland.
Returning to Galway, Richard found that his love had remained true to him through all those years. In a fitting tribute to his true love, he fashioned the Claddagh ring. The two hands represented their friendship. The crown signified their loyalty. The heart symbolized their love. Richard married his beloved and presented the first Claddagh to her as her wedding ring. And, like any fairytale, the two lived happily ever after....never to be apart again.

The First Claddagh

The Eagle and Margaret Joyce

One legend in Claddagh history tells of Margaret Joyce. She married a wealthy Spanish merchant named Domingo de Rona. When her husband died, Margaret inherited de Rona's fortune. Joyce instead put her money to good work in building bridges and performing many charitable works in Ireland's western counties. To reward her for her extraordinary kindness and generosity, an eagle dropped the original Claddagh Ring into her lap.

The First Claddagh

Gods and Goddesses

Going back further, some believe Claddagh history began with the ancient Celts. The mythical Beathauile is said to represent the Crown. Dagda, father of the Celtic gods, represents the right hand of the Claddagh Ring. Anu, ancestral and universal mother of the Celts, represents the left hand. In a Christian version of this Irish legend, the crowned heart represents God the Father and the two hands signify Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

The First Claddagh

Unrequited Love

Perhaps the most fated tale claiming to be part of Claddagh history is one of a king who fell in love with a peasant girl. Because of class distinctions between the two, the king could not marry the lowly peasant he loved. His grief was too much for him to bear, so he killed himself. His dying wish was for his hands to be chopped off and placed around his heart as a symbol of his undying love.

The First Claddagh

The Fisher Kings

Claddagh history merges with tales of the sea in the town of Claddagh, which is said to be one of the oldest fishing villages in Ireland. For centuries, fishermen from the area sailed the sea with the Claddagh crest on their ships and sails. The crest was used for identification. Fishermen without the crest were assumed to be from outside the area. If found fishing in their waters, they were chased away or killed. So the Claddagh ring is also an original symbol of the "Fisher Kings" of the Galway town of Claddagh, Ireland.

Claddagh Rings By Birthstone

The Celtic Knot

Sometimes the design changes with the hands being replaced with a Celtic Knot. A commonly used Celtic knot is the Trinity (often called the love knot). It consists of three points that are interconnected in a triangle. It symbolizes the growth of the spirit, life that is eternal, and love that never ends.

An Old Tradition

Throughout Claddagh history, the ring has With these hands I give you my heart and I crown it with my love. been handed down from mother to daughter with the saying, "With these hands I give you my heart and I crown it with my love."
There is no traditional age when the ring is supposed to be handed down. Each mother determines when her own daughter is ready for this special family heirloom.
As decades pass, it links the generations and brings them closer to each other.