FINE JEWELLERY, WATCHES, SILVER & COINS 26th March 2025 at 12pm

8 T H E C L A D D A G H A N D T H E C E L T I C R E V I V A L There is currently a Celtic revival taking place among the young people of Ireland.There is an uptake in people speaking the Irish language, including more Irish artists on their playlists, and some opting for a pint of Guinness rather than a Heineken! One major player in the current Celtic revival is the symbol of the Claddagh. Traditionally worn as a ring to symbolise your relationship status, the claddagh has taken on a whole new persona in the eyes of young Irish people. You can find Irish women in their twenties wearing oversized claddagh hoop earrings and young men sporting claddagh jerseys. Seen as a way of asser ting your ‘Irish-ness’ when out and about, the claddagh has been reclaimed by the young adults of the country and it has taken off with steam. There is a rich history when it comes to the claddagh symbol and it should not be forgotten in favour of fashion alone. The traditional claddagh ring design is attributed to goldsmith Richard Joyce. Joyce was par t of the Tribes of Galway in the 17th century. While sailing to the West Indies in 1675, Joyce’s ship was captured by Algerian pirates who then held everyone on the ship captive as slaves for the next 14 years. Joyce in a way was for tunate with his captor as he was a goldsmith who kept him as his apprentice and when he was freed byWilliam III in 1689, he could bring back his newfound skills to Galway. Joyce created the claddagh ring we know today after settling near the Claddagh fishing village outside Galway city after he returned from capture.There is some debate as to the true creator of the claddagh ring design as there are not the clearest of records from the 17th century, but the credit is generally attributed to Joyce. The claddagh ring is par t of a group of European rings known as fede. The rings in this group all consist of two hands and are often clasped around each other or in the case of the claddagh, a hear t. Fede rings were first used in Ancient Rome but came to prominence in the 12th century. Claddagh rings were initially worn by the ‘Fishing Kings of Claddagh’ and by the 1830s the Claddagh name stuck. LIVE AUCTION OF FINE JEWELLERY, WATCHES, SILVER & COINS • WEDNESDAY, 26th MARCH 2025 AT 12PM