A sundial is the oldest clock there is, and it still works. The Claddagh garden sundial puts the Irish hands-and-heart symbol on the dial face, with a cast gnomon rising from the center to throw the shadow. It’s bought mostly for memorial gardens and for Irish households that already have a Claddagh on the door and want one in the yard.

What’s on the face

The dial carries the Claddagh in relief along with the hour marks. The gnomon is cast as part of the piece, not bolted on, so there’s no seam to loosen. Everything is finished in French Bronze, a warm, slightly aged tone that looks like old bronze without the upkeep that real bronze needs outdoors.

Setting a Claddagh garden sundial

For the shadow to tell real time, the gnomon has to point true north and sit in full sun. A pedestal, a flat stone or a wide fence post in an open bed all work. Then rotate the dial until noon lines up with the shadow at solar noon, and leave it. If the spot gets afternoon shade, the sundial still looks right, but it stops telling time about then.

Material

The Claddagh garden sundial is cast in the USA from recycled aluminum, so it won’t rust and won’t streak the stone it sits on. The coating on a Claddagh garden sundial is backed by a five-year warranty. Rinse off pollen and dust when you think of it; don’t use abrasives on the finish.

There’s no personalization, so it can be ordered as a gift with nothing to proof. If you’d like a plainer dial or a different motif, the full sundials range is cast from the same aluminum. And the Irish Collection has the Claddagh on two weathervanes and several wall plaques, so the garden and the house can match.