The Pint Claddagh: Origins and Ownership
The Claddagh Pint was first created here, at deadly.ie. It went on to become a mini phenomenon last year. I didn't want to write this blog, but my page doesn't rank well without it, so here's the breakdown to it's creation. First, a TLDR Version:
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Original Creation Date: August 9, 2021 by me, Seán Conroy here at Deadly.ie (timestamp via Google Photos). First Public Release: September 30, 2021 it was first released as a physical piece, an enamel pin. Public Domain Status: The Claddagh symbol originated with Richard Joyce in 18th-century Galway and belongs to the public domain. The concept of combining it with a pint of stout was, prior to the drama, basically a public domain design mashup. Registered design filings in September 2025 however have caused confusion, with the ring version at least. See the timeline below for more details. The Controversy: In 2025, third-party creators attempted to claim exclusive Intellectual Property and issued cease-and-desist notices to other third parties over the concept. This document sets the historical record straight. |
Want to buy a Claddagh Pint? 
Before we go any further, you can get the original Claddagh Pint here. Looking for the updated, 3D Version? You can also find the metal Pint Claddagh variants here.
So, In 2025, there was a miniature 'Claddagh Pint Controversy'. It was a storm in a teacup really, but people love the drama, so it had legs for a week or two. There were multiple video call outs and it was even picked up and briefly addressed in an Irish Times article about the Celtic Design revival. I was mortified - but it did help sales, during my slowest time of the year. So something good came out of it, at least.
In a nutshell, the Claddagh design has been pretty en vogue over the past year or so and everyone's had a go at making their own version. The issue I had with it all arose when people claimed to be the sole owner of the design/concept and then began sending out cease and desists.
I'm writing this blog to set the record straight, clear up any confusion about dates, create a timeline, and to highlight who the original creator of the Claddagh Pint was (hint: it was probably me). Also to get some of that delicious SEO for the term! So here's the timeline as I have it.
As I have said many times before, there's a non-zero chance that a Claddagh Pint design existed before my one, but if it did, I couldn't find it. If you have found a public version that predates 2021, let me know and I'll update this timeline! Also, it's really worth mentioning the original Claddagh design dates back to it's creation by Richard Joyce in Galway in the 1700s. It's a public domain design that people can use as they wish, but which is pretty impossible to claim copyright ownership or intellectual property of.
The Original Claddagh Pint Creation Date, August 2021
As far as I can see and having researched it pretty extensively, I created the first version of this design in August 2021. I kind of knew that I was onto a winner with it, so I photographed my design, uploaded it to Google Photos and made sure I had a trustable timestamp of the 9th of August 2021, i.e. my creation date.
If you don't believe that image above, you can see the original file here on Google Photos. Below is another working version, with some additional elements, colours and slightly more appealing angles:
a working image of a print version, from the 13th August, 2021
The first production of the Claddagh Pint, September 2021
On September 30th, 2021, I was released to the public with three other pins, as evidenced by this instagram post. At the time, it was a slight viral hit for me, with famous artists, models and musicians commenting or sharing it to their stories. It wasn't an instant sell out like the Lady on the Rock pin that came before it (probably as I'd bundled it in with other pieces in the post), but it did sell out in pretty quick time and I didn't have any left in stock after Christmas.
2022: Increased visibility and sales
Three months after releasing it, someone got in touch to inquire about getting it tattooed on them, and the first reorder was made. There were some issues around stock at this time (it was peak Covid, remember), but it was restocked and everyone was made known of this fact at the end of March, 2022 on instagram. I even created a GIF of it over on Giphy on the 27th of March to celebrate it's return!
Two weeks later in April, District Magazine shared it as the first of '5 things that are in every Dubliner's Bag this week'. In May, I even made the design my logo for a brief time and I have some the wrapping paper for my prints which shows this:
Again, you can see that on Google Photos, too in case you need something concrete.
By the end of 2022, it was the only search result on Google for 'Pint Claddagh' for a product - other than actual pint glasses with traditional claddaghs engraved into them. Christmas came and went and it sold out all over again.
At this stage, I'm sure any reasonable person would agree that I was the first to use this design. Again, I still don't know about the legality of it, copyright would only protect my particular design and not the idea (the Claddagh is public-domain, like), but I don't think any sane person would claim to be the originator of some that was already created.
2023: First variations by others
2023 rolled around, we were still all confused as to whether we could meet our friends indoors or not, and the Claddagh Pint was restocked for a third time, on March 22, 2023.
However, a few weeks before this, someone alerted me to a design by LuckyCheetahStudio that "bore a striking similarity to my design", they said. But, well, it didn't really. It was a claddagh-style design, sure, and it had a pint, but it didn't look anything like mine. Besides, I didn't own the idea of a claddagh or a pint, so even if I did feel otherwise, I couldn't really do anything about it.
A week later my fridge magnet design of the Pint Claddagh went on sale and it sold out fast. (reminder to self: I should really make more fridge magnets).
On the 3rd of April, ThatGuinnessGirl released her beanie featuring a design which was a bit more similar to mine, which as the cool kids say, 'did numbers' on her instagram. Again, fair play - and to be perfectly honest, I was a little annoyed at this initially. I had to remind myself that it wasn't my idea to own, any more than putting the word 'Grá' in a love-heart was. It was a traditional Irish design smushed together with a cultural icon, in the form of a pint of stout.
Also, my wife had just had our first baby, so getting stroppy about little shapes on a poster or a hat seemed really, really silly, given that my life had infinitely changed massively for the better. The rest of 2023 was a happy blur, in terms of the pins. I remember watching some match on the TV, with my baby girl in the crook of my left arm as I doodled some new designs with my right. Bliss.