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Welcome to Royal Claddagh
Welcome to Royal Claddagh at
Claddagh.com in Ireland - the world's specialist Claddagh jewellers. We hope you enjoy your visit to our store and
share something of the Claddagh tradition with us. Order now for
timely registered delivery around the world.
 Tradition
The traditional wedding ring of the Irish since
the 17th Century, the Royal Claddagh ring is today worn by
people all over the world as a universal symbol of love,
loyalty, friendship and fidelity, and of their Irish heritage.
For love, we wear the heart. In friendship, we
wear the hands. And, in loyalty and lasting fidelity: we wear
the Royal Claddagh crown. Worn on the right hand, with crown and heart
facing out, the ring tells that the wearer's heart is yet to be
won. While under love's spell it is worn with heart and crown
facing inwards. Wearing the ring on the left hand, with the
crown and heart facing inwards, signifies that your love has
been requited.
An original symbol of the "Fisher Kings" of the Galway town of
Claddagh, Ireland, was first fashioned into the traditional ring back in the 17th Century
during the reign of Mary II. Legend has it that an Irish young man, Richard
Joyce, bound for the West Indian slave plantations was kidnapped
himself in rough seas by a band of Mediterranean pirates and
sold to a Moorish goldsmith who over the many long years of his
exile helped him perfect the skills of a master craftsman. When in 1689 King William III negotiated the return of the slaves, Joyce returned to Galway - despite, it said, the Moor's offer of the daughter's hand in marriage and a princely dowry of half of all his wealth.
Back in Ireland a young women had never stopped faithful waiting for her true love to return. Upon which time when he presented her with the now famous Royal Claddagh gold ring - a symbol of their enduring love. Two hands to represent their friendship, the crown to signify their loyalty and lasting fidelity, and the sign of the heart to symbolise their eternal love for each other. They soon married, never to be separated again.
"Several individuals of this name have
long felt grateful to the memory of William III. from the following
circumstance, on the accession of that monarch to the throne of England. One
of the first acts of his reign was to send an ambassador to Algiers to
demand the immediate release of all the British subjects detained there in
slavery, the dey and council, intimidated, reluctnatly complied with this
demand. Among those released, was a young man of the name of Joyes, a native
of Galway, who, fourteen years before, was captured on his passage to the
West Indies, by an Algerine Corsair; on his arrival at Algiers, he was
purchased by a wealthy Turk who followed the profession of a goldsmith, and
who observing his slave, Joyes, to be tractable and ingenious, instructed
him in his trade in which he speedily became an adept. The Moor, as soon as
he heard of his release, offered him, in case he should remain, his only
daughter in marriage, and with her, half his property, but all these, with
other tempting and advantageous proposals, Joyes resolutely declined; on his
return to Galway he married, and followed the business of a goldsmith with
considerable success" James Hardiman, The
History of the Town and County of the Town of Galway.
Traditionally handed down from mother to daughter the Royal Claddagh ring has also become a symbol of our ties with the past and generations gone by. As Irish people we remember the many many of our people who had to leave Ireland with nothing but their lives during the Great Famine of the 19th Century - many leaving from here in Cork harbour to make the long voyage across the Atlantic to America. The gold Royal Claddagh ring was to become for many the only enduring link with their home country and practically their only savings and family inheritance.
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