The short answer: a claddagh ring shows two hands holding a heart topped by a crown. The hands stand for friendship, the heart for love and the crown for loyalty. Given together, they make a promise, which is why the claddagh is worn as a friendship ring, a promise ring, an engagement ring and a wedding ring.
The three symbols of the claddagh
The hands: friendship
The two hands wrap around the heart from either side. They represent friendship, and the idea of holding someone’s heart with care.
The heart: love
The heart at the centre is the love between two people, whether partners, family or friends.
The crown: loyalty
The crown above the heart stands for loyalty, the promise that lasts. A less common version without the crown is sometimes called the Fenian claddagh.
Where does the claddagh ring come from?
The ring takes its name from Claddagh, the old fishing village just outside the walls of Galway city, on the west coast of Ireland. Rings of this form were first made in the 17th century, and Galway has produced them continuously since at least 1700. The name “claddagh ring” itself is more recent: it does not appear before the 1830s.
The design belongs to a much older family of jewellery called fede rings, from the Italian mani in fede, “hands joined in faith”. Rings showing clasped hands date back to Ancient Rome, where they marked a pledge, and in medieval and Renaissance Europe they were exchanged as engagement and wedding rings. The claddagh added the heart and the crown.
The legend of Richard Joyce
The best-known story of the claddagh’s origin is the legend of Richard Joyce, a Galway man. Around 1675, so the story goes, he was captured at sea by Algerian corsairs and sold to a goldsmith, who taught him the trade. After King William III sent an ambassador to Algiers to seek the release of British subjects, Joyce was freed after some fourteen years. He returned to Galway with a ring he had made in captivity, gave it to the sweetheart who had waited for him, married her and became a successful goldsmith.
The legend cannot be proven, but it has a basis in fact: Joyce’s initials are stamped on one of the earliest surviving claddagh rings. Three other early rings carry the mark of another Galway goldsmith, Thomas Meade.
A ring handed down
For generations the claddagh was a local ring, worn in the Aran Islands and Connemara long before it was known abroad. In Ireland and across the Irish diaspora, it is often passed from mother to eldest daughter, or from grandmother to granddaughter.
The ring also travelled far beyond Galway. Queen Victoria was seen wearing one after her visit to Ireland in 1849, and John F. Kennedy and his wife were given claddagh rings when they visited Galway in 1963.
What it means to give a claddagh ring
Because its meaning is built into the design, a claddagh says something without words. Given to a friend, it says you will always be there. Given to a partner, it is a promise. Given to a daughter, it carries a family’s story. The way it is worn adds to the message: see our guide on how to wear a claddagh ring.
Claddagh ring meaning: FAQs
Is it bad luck to buy your own claddagh ring?
Some people say a claddagh brings more luck when it is received as a gift. That is folklore rather than a rule, and many people buy their own.
Can a claddagh ring be an engagement ring?
Yes. The claddagh is widely used as an engagement or wedding ring, worn on the left ring finger.
Do men wear claddagh rings?
Yes. Men wear claddagh rings and bands just as women do. See our men’s claddagh rings.
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