A Piece of Galway, Ireland

The rings make perfect mementos of an incredible trip.

When visiting Galway, Ireland, you will see a certain symbol quite often. It's a heart with a crown being held by two hands, and it's called the Claddagh. The Claddagh ring is a tradition Irish ring that represents love (the heart), loyalty (the crown), and friendship (the hands). Legends say that Richard Joyce, a silversmith from Galway, created the ring while he was in captivity in the late 1600s. He was taken and enslaved by Algerian Corsairs while on his way to the West Indies, and after fourteen years of imprisonment, he was released. He returned to Galway with the ring he fashioned while enslaved, which came to be known as the Claddagh.

Today, the ring is quite popular in Ireland, as jewelry and as a symbol of Irish identity. The rings can be bought as friendship rings, but they are also worn as engagement or wedding rings. The way you wear the Claddagh ring conveys your relationship status. If the heart is worn on your right hand with the heart pointed towards your fingers, it means your heart is open; if the heart is facing your wrist, you're in a relationship. If you wear the ring on your left hand with the heart facing your fingers, you're engaged; if it's facing your wrist, you're engaged.

Thomas Dillion is located in the heart of Galway City.

The Claddagh ring is steeped in Irish tradition, and visitors to Galway flock to jewelry stores to buy their own piece of the country. Thomas Dillon's Claddagh Gold is the original maker of the Claddagh ring and the oldest jeweler in Ireland. They were stablished in 170, and they sit at 1 William Street, Galway, in the center of the city. The rings at Thomas Dillon's are hand-made and stamped "original." Prices are very reasonable, with the silver ring priced at 55 euros. You can find Claddagh rings all over the country, but only Thomas Dillon's have the official stamp with a hallmark by the Irish Assay Office, which guarantees the quality of your ring.

Visit Dillon's for an original piece of Galway history.

While visiting Galway, stop into Thomas Dillon's to see for yourself what this important piece of Irish history looks like, and talk to the employees, as they are Galway born and bred and are full of information and interesting facts. If you want to take a part of Ireland home with you, take the Claddagh.

All Dillon's rings are beautiful and original.