Claddagh

This nearby village of Galway City is home to the traditional Irish wedding ring of the same name. Its design, two hands together upon a heart with a crown on top, signifies love, loyalty, and friendship. Claddagh rings are passed down through the generations by female family members. Unmarried women wear them with the heart facing outward, while married women wear them with the heart facing inward.

The village of Claddagh, named from Cladach, meaning “marshy ground” remained isolated and independent until sometime in the 1930’s, when modernization replaced the thatched cottages with regular houses and many of the old traditions disappeared. However, the rings remain popular.