Claddagh Ring History

With its heart (representing love), hands (representing friendship), and crown (representing loyalty) the Claddagh ring tells not only a story of one man’s love, but the story of the Irish people. Claddagh Ring History dates back nearly 400 years ago to a small fishing village in County Galway, Ireland. It was here—in Claddagh—that the creator of the Claddagh ring, Richard Joyce, was likewise originated.

As legend goes, Richard Joyce was taken captive by Algerian pirates and sold to a wealthy goldsmith in the Caribbean. This goldsmith took Joyce under his wing as an apprentice and in time Joyce also became a master craftsman. Yet, despite his new trade and life, he never stopped thinking of the woman he loved and had left behind in Galway. With eternal love driving his tools, Joyce created the world’s first Claddagh Ring. When Joyce was freed from slavery in 1689 he returned to Claddagh where he found his fiancé still waiting for him. He presented her the ring he had made as her wedding ring. The earliest Claddagh rings to be traced bear his mark and the initial letters of his name, RI (Richard Joyce).

For decades following the creation of Joyce’s Claddagh the ring became a local custom and its popularity as a wedding ring trickled throughout Galway and other parts of Ireland. But, in 1846/7 an unfortunate and infamous event led to the beginning of the ring’s worldwide spread. With the Irish Potato Famine came the mass exodus of Irish to other European nations and the United States. With them, these refugees brought their culture to new lands – including the Claddagh ring. With its beautiful meaning and historic past, the ring became appealing to people of other heritages as well.

The Claddagh ring was the only ring ever made in Ireland worn by Queen Victoria and later by Queen Alexandra and King Edward VII. Overtime, the presence of the Claddagh on other influential people’s fingers ensured the popularity and rich history of the Claddagh would continue. Such notable recipients of the ring include, Prince Rainier and Princess Grace of Monaco, President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, and President Ronald Reagan.