Claddagh Ring

I found it today!!

In my ski bag, where I no doubt, "safely" stowed it away the last time I was at Brennen's house.

Wahoo! I'm a very happy girl indeed.

So here's a brief history about this ring for all of you:

The romantic story of the mystical and beautiful Claddagh Ring began way back over 300 years ago in the ancient fishing village of Claddagh just outside the walls of the City of Galway on the west coast of Ireland.

Legend has it that a fishing boat from the village was captured by pirates and sold into slavery, the property of a rich Turkish goldsmith. One of the crew, a man named Richard Joyce was to have been married the same week of the capture.

As the years went by neither married, Richard Joyce was put to work at the trade of goldsmithing. In time Joyce became a master craftsman, never forgetting his girl back home, he made a ring of gold for her, with a heart for love, a crown for loyalty and two hands for friendship.

Eventually, after eight years he escaped his captors and returned to his village, and to his great joy he found that his love had never given up hope of seeing him again. He gave her the ring he had made and they were married, never to be separated again.

Wear this ring on your right hand with the heart facing outwards and the world will know your heart has not yet been won. Wear it on the right hand with the heart facing inwards and it shows you have friendship and love under consideration. But worn on your left hand with the heart turned inwards it means two loves have joined forever.

The rings were kept as family heirlooms which were passed lovingly down from mother to daughter on her wedding day.