The Legend of the Claddagh Ring

The story of the Claddagh is based in rich Irish culture. It begins about five centuries ago in the fishing village of Claddagh, just outside of Galway. Now for those of you that know the Irish, it won't be surprising that there are actually two legends, both from the same setting.

The first is the story of a young fisherman named Richard Joyce, from Claddagh who shortly before he was to be married was captured at sea by pirates and sold into slavery in Algeria. He became the property of a rich Moorish goldsmith, who trained him in the craft. As the years passed, he was able to steal tiny pieces of gold from his master and he was finally able to fashion a ring for his Claddagh fiancé to whom he vowed to return. In 1689, King George III released all subjects in slavery and Richard was able to return to his home. There he found that his sweetheart had waited for his return, and after presenting her with the first “Claddagh Ring”, they were married.

In the lesser known mythical version, it is told that Margaret Joyce, from Claddagh, married a wealthy Spanish merchant who traded with Galway. He died and left her his great fortune. She returned to Galway and used her inheritance to build bridges from Galway to Sligo. She was rewarded for her good works when an eagle dropped the original Claddagh ring into her lap.

As you can learn from reviewing the content of our site, the term “Claddagh” is the name of the Irish ring that symbolizes the sentiment “Let Love and Friendship Reign Forever, Never Separated”. Claddagh Paving chose this as a company name for two reasons. First, we hope that the “friendships” we establish with our customers is “never separated” and secondly, this long lasting sentiment represents the everlasting durability of interlocking pavers.