The Claddagh Ring [Hardcover]

Malachy McCourt (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 14, 2003

New York Times best-selling author Malachy McCourt recounts the story of the Claddagh Ring, a timeless symbol of loyalty, friendship, and love worn by millions in Ireland and around the world. Following the success of his Running Press titles Danny Boy and Voices of Ireland, McCourt takes on another beloved theme of Irish heritage by exploring the story through vivid anecdotes, charming folk tales, and recent incidents. The Claddagh Ring, part of a group of "finger rings" dating from the Roman era, is formed by two clasped hands, symbolizing faith, love, loyalty, and friendship. Said to have been first crafted more than 400 years ago in Claddagh, a fishing village on Galway Bay, there is much more to the ring's tale than simple popular history, and McCourt is just the person to track it down and recount it with his stellar storytelling finesse.The titular bauble-a pair of hands clasping a crowned heart with the motto "Let love and friendship reign"-is a traditional Irish emblem passed from mothers to daughters and granddaughters, exchanged by betrothed couples or given to friends, and worn by Queen Victoria, Jennifer Aniston and the rock band U2. McCourt ... is wary of the subject's potential to evoke "dreary sentimentality, enough to make a person vomit," but he steadies himself and gives a pleasant rundown of associated lore-a classic Irish mixture of improbable legend and historical tragedy. -Publishers Weekly

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The titular bauble-a pair of hands clasping a crowned heart with the motto "Let love and friendship reign"-is a traditional Irish emblem passed from mothers to daughters and granddaughters, exchanged by betrothed couples or given to friends, and worn by Queen Victoria, Jennifer Aniston and the rock band U2. McCourt (Danny Boy) is wary of the subject's potential to evoke "dreary sentimentality, enough to make a person vomit," but he steadies himself and gives a pleasant rundown of associated lore-a classic Irish mixture of improbable legend and historical tragedy. Drawing on scholarly and literary accounts, he explores the history and eccentric folkways of the fishing village of Claddagh, whose taciturn inhabitants "had long been an enigma, even to the people of Ireland." One origin myth has the prototype ring dropped by an eagle into the lap of a saintly benefactress, and a second says it was forged by a goldsmith for his faithful fiancée after he returned from captivity among Algerian corsairs. Another tale recounts how scores of Claddagh natives pawned the gold rings for passage to America during the potato famine, while modern myth alleges that hundreds of the rings were recovered from the rubble of the World Trade Center, a testament to the heroism of Irish-American firefighters and cops. McCourt traces the development of Celtic jewelry, ponders the symbolism of the ring's motifs and generally celebrates Irish culture with frankness and warmth. Perhaps the most pertinent material to the book's likely female readership is in a long section on traditional Irish wedding rites that is sure to give be-ringed colleens plenty of ideas.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"Malachy McCourt hardly needs an introduction . . . he delights, amuses, astonishes, and informs." -- American Book Review --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Running Press (August 14, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 076241555X
• ISBN-13: 978-0762415557
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,628,867 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cherished Symbol of Friendship, December 28, 2004

By 

Rebecca Johnson "The Rebecca Review" (Washington State) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Claddagh Ring (Hardcover)

The hands are there for friendship,
The heart is there for love.
For loyalty throughout the year,
The crown is raised above

It is extremely rare to find a friend who wants to be friends forever, but when you find them, this is the ring to buy. A Claddagh (klada) ring can be given to friends and is the world's cherished symbol of friendship, love and loyalty.

The happiest day in my life is definitely the day I received a Claddagh Ring. Not only are these rings eternal symbols of friendship, it is a poetic and beautiful representation of love that is steeped in mysterious legends and lore.

The ring is named after a fishing village and Malachy McCourt does a fine job of explaining all the stories surrounding this mysterious ring. This book is filled with stories of Vikings, Algerian Pirates, Legendary Fishermen, Superstitions, Traditions and stories of Mary of the Bridges.

This book is really as much a history of Claddagh as it is about the ring named after the village. It also sheds light on the inventor and how he created the ring while in captivity. Malachy McCourt weaves a fascinating tapestry of stories with humor and a deep interest the history and culture of Ireland.

What amazed me most was the story of 9/11 and how so many Claddagh rings were found on that day. Not only does this ring make its appearance in romantic tales, it has more recently made its appearance in great tragedy. Perhaps it is also now the symbol of the joining of hands to heal hearts.

~The Rebecca Review

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Claddagh Your Friends and Lovers, May 23, 2006

By 

sls "sls" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Claddagh Ring (Paperback)

This story is incredibly beautiful. The story of the ring and of the town is really a tribute to the power of love and friendship which both are keys in any kind of relationship from lover to wedding partner to friends of every kind. This book captures the spirit of Ireland, especially Galway Bay where the town of Claddagh provides the setting for the story.

0 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Claddagh Ring, July 5, 2010

By 

Anthony Moore "madburro" (Ishpeming, Michigan, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Claddagh Ring (Paperback)

The McCourts are not my favorite authors. Claddagh Ring is frothy. Doesn't say a lot. No original research that I could determine.