thumb|Claddagh ring

A Claddagh ring () is a traditional Irish ring with three primary features: a heart to represent love, a crown to represent loyalty, and two clasped hands to symbolise friendship. The design and customs associated with it originated in Claddagh, County Galway. Its modern form was first produced in the 17th century. Claddagh rings have been used as engagement and wedding rings in medieval and Renaissance Europe. The oldest surviving examples of the Claddagh ring were forged by Bartholomew Fallon.

Description

The Claddagh ring belongs to a group of European finger rings called fede rings. The name derives from the Italian phrase ('hands [joined] in faith' or 'hands [joined] in loyalty'). This ring group dates to Ancient Rome, where the gesture of clasping hands meant pledging vows. Cut or cast in bezels, they were used as engagement and wedding rings in medieval and Renaissance Europe to signify "plighted troth".

In recent years, it has been embellished with interlace designs and combined with other Celtic and Irish symbols, corresponding with its popularity as an emblem of Irish identity.

Origins

Galway has produced Claddagh rings continuously since at least 1700, Although there are various myths and legends around the origin of the ring, it is almost certain that it originated in or close to the small fishing village of Claddagh in Galway.

There are many legends about the origins of the ring, particularly concerning Richard Joyce, a silversmith from Galway circa 1700, who is said to have invented the Claddagh design. His initials are in one of the earliest surviving Claddagh rings. There are three other rings also made around that time bearing the mark of goldsmith Thomas Meade. as the source. Jones says: Knowledge of the ring and its customs spread within Ireland and Britain during the Victorian period, and this is when its name became established. Further recognition came in the 20th century.

Usage and symbolism

The Claddagh's distinctive design features two hands clasping a heart and usually surmounted by a crown. These elements symbolise the qualities of love (the heart), friendship (the hands), and loyalty (the crown). A Fenian Claddagh ring, without a crown, is a slightly different take on the design but has not achieved the level of popularity of the crowned version. Claddagh rings are relatively popular among the Irish as cultural symbols and as friendship, engagement, and wedding rings. In Ireland, the United States, Canada, and other parts of the Irish diaspora, the Claddagh is sometimes handed down mother-to-eldest daughter or grandmother-to-granddaughter.

{| class="wikitable floatright"

|+ Relationship status

! !! Left hand !! Right hand

|-

! Heart pointing in

| Married || In a relationship

|-

! Heart pointing out

| Engaged || Single

|}

According to Irish author Colin Murphy, a Claddagh ring is traditionally worn to convey the wearer's relationship status:

  1. On the right hand with the point of the heart toward the fingertips: the wearer is single and might be looking for love.
  2. On the right hand with the point of the heart toward the wrist: the wearer is in a relationship; someone "has captured their heart".
  3. On the left ring finger with the point of the heart toward the fingertips: the wearer is engaged.
  4. On the left ring finger with the point of the heart toward the wrist: the wearer is married.

In both Ireland and the Irish diaspora, other localised variations and oral traditions involve the hand and the finger on which the Claddagh is worn. Folklore about the ring is relatively recent, not ancient, with the lore about them almost wholly based in oral tradition; there is "very little native Irish writing about the ring", hence, the difficulty today in finding any scholarly or non-commercial source that explains the traditional ways of wearing the ring.

Modern usage

The Claddagh ring can be seen on the fingers of political figures, Hollywood icons, and literary figures. American presidents John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton have worn the ring. Kennedy and his wife received theirs on a trip to Galway in 1963. Reagan and Clinton both received the rings as a gift from Ireland. British royalty, such as Queen Victoria, King Edward VII, and Queen Alexandra, were seen wearing the Claddagh ring after 1849 when they traveled to Ireland. After visiting the island with his wife, Walt Disney was seen wearing the ring. It is also apparent on the Partners statue in Disney World. His ring is facing outward on the statue, although he was married.

The ring can be found on actors such as Maureen O'Hara and John Wayne, who received their rings during the movie The Quiet Man. Peter O'Toole and Daniel Day-Lewis have frequently been seen wearing the Claddagh ring, as well as Mia Farrow and Gabriel Byrne. Jim Morrison and Patricia Kennealy completed their Celtic wedding with Claddagh rings.

In the television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the ring is seen when Angel presents one to Buffy as a birthday present.

See also

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References

  • 18th-century Claddagh ringVictoria and Albert Museum