Story of the Claddagh
The Claddagh design features a heart with a crown on top supported by two hands,symbolising Love ,Loyalty and Friendship..   Richard Joyce  designed and crafted the first claddagh ring in the village of Claddagh outside the walls of Galway City,Ireland , some 400 years ago.
If the ring is worn with the the crown turned inwards , it indicates that the heart is not yet occupied. If the ring is worn with the the crown turned outwards , it indicates that the heart is occupied  Centuries ago the ring was passed from mother to daughter as a family heirloom , but nowadays it is worn by men and women throughout the world as a sign of love loyalty and friendship.

The History of the Shamrock

Full of symbolism, this plant has mystical roots

by Michelle Gervais
Shamrock
Shamrocks have been symbolic of many things over the years. According to legend, the shamrock was a sacred plant to the Druids of Ireland because its leaves formed a triad, and three was a mystical number in the Celtic religion, as in many others. St. Patrick used the shamrock in the 5th century to illustrate the doctrine of the Holy Trinity as he introduced Christianity to Ireland.

"Wearin' o' the green"
The shamrock became symbolic in other ways as time went on. In the 19th century it became a symbol of rebellion, and anyone wearing it risked death by hanging. It was this period that spawned the phrase "the wearin' o' the green". Today, the shamrock is the most recognized symbol of the Irish, especially on St. Patrick's Day, when all over the world, everyone is Irish for a day!

Trinity harp

The harp has long been a symbol of Ireland. Perhaps the legends of it's magical powers comes from the time when the bards would sing and tell stories of famous events to the Irish kings and chiefs.

During the early 1500s, under the rule of Henry VIII, the harp was first depicted on Irish coins. That tradition is carried on today and the harp is also used for other official duties such as the Irish state seal, official documents and uniforms.

 

 

Newgrange entrance stone

 

Tri Spiral in Passageway

 

 

 

The tricolor flag of Ireland was introduced by Thomas Francis Meagher in 1848. The green color represents the Irish people, the orange represents the English supporters of "William of Orange" and the white color represents peace.

Thomas Meagher on the meaning of the Irish flag said, "The white in the center signifies a lasting truce between the Orange and the Green; and I trust that beneath its folds the hands of the Irish Protestant and the Irish Catholic may be clasped in heroic brotherhood."