The Story of the Claddagh Ring

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Let love and friendship reign! is the motto of the famous Irish Claddagh ring. This lovely token of fealty - a ring in gold or silver comprising two hands surrounding a heart and surmounted by a crown - takes its name from the Claddagh, an ancient fishing village that is now part of Galway city. The earliest surviving examples are from about 1700 but it is known that the rings were popular much earlier than this. Tradition has it that in the Claddagh these rings were handed down from mother to daughter. Now the Claddagh ring is a sought-after piece of jewellery and a symbol of romance the world over.