News 10. 1. 2017

The remarkable story of the Galway Claddagh community

The men of the town were fishermen while the women looked after the house and with the sole rights to fish in Galway Bay, the Claddagh fisherman were to thrive in bringing their fresh fish into the markets in Galway. It is believed that by the early 19th century, there were as many as 820 fishermen in the village who ran around 80 boats.
With their special „Hooker“ boats, the fishermen were led by an elected King who was chosen from their midst annually in a huge celebration for St. John’s Day on June 23. By the King’s orders, any outsider found fishing in the Bay could have their nets and boat destroyed, and to the community of Claddagh, a stranger was anybody at all that did not live in their village. Some say that it was easy to tell if a person was not from the village as they would not be sporting a Claddagh on their hand. The King was also said to have „absolute“ power over the fishermen and would be the person to always lead them out to sea.
It was tuberculosis that was to be the downfall of this village, however, although they had continued to maintain their customs despite the increasing influence of the rest of the county and their city-dwelling neighbors. At its height, Claddagh held 468 thatched cottages, home to some 500 families, but gradually younger generations began to move into the city looking for work and when a deadly outbreak of TB in 1927 spread rapidly through the Claddagh community, the village, and its thatched cottages were deemed a health hazard and the order was given to relocate the families, whether they wanted to or not, and to bring all of their homes to the ground. The last of the structures were destroyed in 1934.
The Claddagh symbol consists of three different elements intertwined to form one of the most heartwarming and beautiful of symbols in Irish culture. Combining a heart balancing a crown on its top and held aloft by the pair of outreached hands, the Claddagh symbolizes love, loyalty and friendship.
When worn as a ring it has also become a means by which a person can display whether they’re single or taken, although in recent years this tradition fallen by the wayside as those unaware of its meaning wear the ring simply because of its beauty as a pattern.

IrishCentral Staff

Václav Bernard