History of the Claddagh Ring

The Claddagh (pronounced CLAW-da) is a Gaelic symbol which represents "Love, Loyalty and Friendship".

The Claddagh was an exclusive community. The Claddagh ring shows two hands holding a heart which wears a crown. This motif is explained in the phrase: "Let Love and Friendship Reign," an ideal poesy for a wedding ring used by a small community for over four hundred years.

The ring symbolizes love (heart), faith/friendship (hands) and loyalty (crown). Two hands joined together in love and crowned by the Glory of Christ.  The original expression, which accompanied the passage of the Claddagh, was: "With these hands I give you my heart and I crown it with my love."

Though no two elements are alike, all work together as one Claddagh Ring – the Crown to the Father, the Left Hand to the Son, and the Right Hand to the Holy Spirit. This explanation is directly correlative to the shamrock, one of the earliest symbols of the Holy Trinity among the Irish.

There is plenty of history and folklore attached to this symbol (some fact, some fiction).  You can find out more about it at your local library, bookstore or on the Internet.