What is Irishness?
Jewellery says a lot about the values we want to communicate to others
Getting on for 40 million North Americans claim Irish ancestry. Ignoring the mathematical improbabilities that a country of Ireland’s size has spawned quite so many offspring, that’s an awful lot of people who are consciously declaring themselves to be fully or partly Irish.
What is it to be Irish? What is Irishness? Is it regional, cultural, political, emotional, spiritual even? Why do Irish people sometimes gravitate to Irish-themed pubs when they’re abroad, when other visiting nationalities tend to sample the local experience? When we think about ‘brand Ireland’ we have to consider its history, its geographical position on the outer edges of Europe, and its position as a cultural heavyweight. Is there any other nation that puts itself so much in the global shop window every year on the 17th March, St Patrick’s Day? It has a charm offensive that many countries envy and that very few can match.
At an individual level, many of us like to communicate our sense of belonging to our tribe to others, in order to increase connections. We sport national dress, national colours, and we might wear national sporting shirts, hats, scarves and flags. We often wear items of jewellery which send a signal of what is important to us. ‘I’m this, are you? Join me if you are.’
The Claddagh ring is a classic symbol of Ireland. With its origins in the oldest part of Galway on the Republic’s west coast, it is a recognised piece of jewellery the world over, and an extremely popular style for wedding rings. The heart of love, the hands of friendship, and the crown to symbolise loyalty, are three values that easily come to mind when you think of Ireland, the Irish people and the legendary Irish welcome.
Whether you consider yourself to be Irish, partly Irish, or you want to connect with irishness, the JVD Claddagh ring, with its custom design and individually numbered pieces, is the perfect way to identify with and demonstrate your connection to Ireland, Galway, and with who you are.
All JVD Claddagh rings come with the JVD ‘maker’s mark’ hallmark.
You can shop the range of JVD Claddagh rings here.