My thoughts are as glad as the morning
My heart is as light as the dew
With this ring, I remember the passion
And I can think only of you

Your gift of those bright happy hours
Stay with me through each night and day
With hands joined forever and ever
More than mere words can ever convey

Together we stand in a rainbow
And glow with the colours of love
Forever, we will be together
Held in the bond of our love

Claddagh Poem by, Anne Agnew

Claddagh the Irish symbol of love, the Claddagh ring, Claddagh

Claddagh

Unlike the other Irish symbols, the Claddagh is not an ancient Celtic design but a 16th century Irish symbol of eternal love and friendship. The heart at the center of the design is symbolic of love, the hands around it symbolize friendship, while the crown represents everlasting loyalty.
The Claddagh ring was developed by Richard Joyce, native of Galway. While being transported to the plantations of the Moorish West Indies as a slave, he was captured by pirates in the Mediterranean and trained in his craft by a goldsmith who bought him. He was set free In 1689 and he returned to Galway to set up shop in the Claddagh to make Claddagh rings. (The oldest fishing village in Ireland).
 Traditionally handed down from mother to daughter the Royal Claddagh ring has also become a symbol of ties with the past and generations gone by. As Irish people we remember the many many of our people who had to leave Ireland with nothing but their lives during the Great Famine of the 19th Century - many leaving from Cork harbor to make the long voyage across the Atlantic to America. The gold Royal Claddagh ring was to become for many the only enduring link with their home country and practically their only savings and family inheritance.
Today, the Claddagh ring is worn throughout Ireland, and this is the way it's supposed to be done.

1--On the right hand, crown in heart out, the wearer is free as the birds in the sky. If you want her, go a courtin'.
2--On the right hand, crown out heart in, the lass is spoken for, so lay off.
3--The best of place is on the left hand, heart in crown out, she is happily married for evermore.

Spiritual Meaning

The Crown to The Father, The Left hand to the Son, and the Right Hand to the Holy Ghost. This explanation is directly correlated to the Shamrock, one of the earliest symbols of the Holy Trinity among the Irish.