163-464: Nicholas Christopher Michael Ring (30 October 1920 – 2 March 1979) was an Irish hurler whose league and championship career at senior level with the Cork county team spanned twenty-four years from 1939 to 1963. He established many championship records , including career appearances (65), scoring tally (33–208) and number of All-Ireland medals won (8); however, these records were subsequently bested by
326-477: A single elimination tournament whereby once a team loses they are eliminated from the championship. Participation is open to the four champion clubs of the four provinces of Ireland and has largely remained the same since the inaugural championship in 1971, however, there have been some minor changes throughout. In 1976 the All-Ireland Championship was extended to five clubs as the winners of
489-758: A straight knockout basis whereby once a team loses they are eliminated from the championship. Currently qualification is limited to teams competing in the Galway Championship , the Leinster Championship , the Munster Championship and the Ulster Championship . Four teams currently participate in the All-Ireland semi-finals. The most successful teams are from County Galway – seven Galway clubs have won
652-409: A "third time in the hand", where a player catches the ball for a third time in succession after soloing or an illegal pick up of the ball. Such decisions can only be made at the discretion of the referee. Blunt injury to the larynx is an infrequent consequence of contact sports despite protective equipment and stringent rules. Hurling, one of the two national sporting games of Ireland, is seen as one of
815-448: A 1–8 to 1–6 victory in what was Ring's last appearance at Croke Park for Cork. The subsequent Munster championship saw Ring lose out to Waterford at the semi-final stage. It would be his last championship game for Cork. Hurling Hurling ( Irish : iománaíocht , iomáint ) is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic Irish origin, played by men and women (camogie for women). One of Ireland's native Gaelic games , it shares
978-511: A 2–13 to 3–2 defeat to Tipperary in the 1945 Munster semi-final. Ring was, rather surprisingly, subdued and outplayed for the hour by Tommy Purcell . Ring was appointed captain of the Cork team in 1946, a year which saw him become the key player on the team. After the shock defeat the previous year, Cork qualified for the Munster final. An ageing Limerick team provided the opposition, however, in
1141-399: A 4–6 to 3–6 victory and a third successive Munster medal. Many regard this passage of play as the moment that the mantle of hurling's star player passed from Mick Mackey to Ring. Once again Cork went on to face Dublin in the All-Ireland final on 3 September 1944. Cork looked sluggish and failed to score for the opening ten minutes, however, they held an 0–8 to 0–2 half-time advantage. Joe Kelly
1304-400: A 7–3 to 1–1 defeat of Aghada . Ring's scoring prowess brought subsequent county championship defeats of Clonakilty and Newtownshandrum as Cloyne qualified for their very first county junior championship final. In the days leading up to the match, there was much speculation that Ring would be unable to line out as he had an injured ankle. He started the game in the half-back line, however, as
1467-517: A Cork-Tipperary match, or at any Irish sporting event outside of Croke Park . The real attendance may have been as high as 70,000 as the gates were thrown open halfway through the preceding minor game. Cork's preparations were undermined by the large crowd. After togging off in the Railway Hotel in Limerick city centre, they had intended to travel by cars to the venue. The volume of bodies on
1630-476: A Munster medal following a 3–7 to 1–7 victory. In June 1967, Ring scored 1–2 and set up another goal in the Glen's championship quarter-final defeat of University College Cork. While the Glen were scheduled to play Muskerry in the championship semi-final, he announced without warning that he wouldn't be playing. After more than a quarter of a century of club hurling, Ring had retired. By 1937 Ring's performances as
1793-589: A baptism of fire against Sarsfields . Two years later he was at right wing-forward and claimed his first medal when Cloyne won the annual Glenbower tournament. As Cloyne were unable to field a minor team by the end of the decade, Ring joined the St. Enda's amalgamation from Midleton in 1938. He won a county minor championship medal in this grade in 1938 following a 5–3 to 4–0 win over the Seán Clárach's club from Charleville . Ring's impressive form with St. Enda's
SECTION 10
#17327911422361956-603: A climax in the closing stages as Cork were two points down and Ring tried to salvage a victory. The sliotar broke to Ring after a 70-yards free and he headed straight for goal with the Wexford back line in pursuit. When he got to the 21-yard line he let off a shot that was set to rattle the back of the net, but the shot was somehow blocked by Wexford 'keeper Art Foley and then cleared by him too. Ring remarked in an interview many years later; "When I got through I thought I had it, but Foley had other ideas, and fair play to him he made
2119-517: A close game was vital in helping Cork to a 2–13 to 3–8 defeat of a Waterford team appearing in their first provincial decider in nine years. Antrim , having already pulled off two of the biggest shocks in the history of the championship by defeating Galway and Kilkenny, were Cork's opponents in the All-Ireland final on 5 September 1943. The game was a poor spectacle as Cork routed their opponents by 5–16 to 0–4. Goals from Johnny Quirke (two), Ted O'Sullivan, Mick Brennan and Mick Kennefick helped secure
2282-597: A club for over a year. A fortuitous meeting with Jack Lynch in the summer of 1941 led to his Cork teammate inviting Ring to join the Glen Rovers club. Ring accepted the offer and made his debut in a championship semi-final defeat of St. Finbarr's . He was at midfield for the subsequent decider against Ballincollig and gave, what was described in the Cork Examiner as, a masterful display with his midfield partner Connie Buckley . The 4–7 to 2–2 victory stretched
2445-571: A code of rules for all clubs in the union and to foster that manly and noble game of hurling in this, its native country". The founding of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) in 1884 in Hayes Hotel, Thurles, County Tipperary, ended decline by organising the game around a common set of written rules. In 1888, Tipperary represented by Thurles Blues beat Meelick of Galway to win the first All-Ireland Championship. However,
2608-435: A disappointing game Cork had an easy victory by 3–8 to 1–3. Ring top scored with 0–5 as he collected his fourth Munster medal. A subsequent defeat of Galway allowed Cork to advance to an All-Ireland final meeting with Kilkenny on 1 September 1946. Gerry O'Riordan scored Cork's first goal as the first half drew to a close before Ring scored one of the most iconic goals of his career. Catching a clearance from Paddy O'Donovan on
2771-414: A goal-bound Ring shot struck Nick O'Donnell , breaking his collarbone. Further points cut the Cork deficit to two and with four minutes left young Johnny Clifford trapped the ball on the end line, dribbled it along the ground and shot past Art Foley from a narrow angle. Injury-time points from Hartnett and Ring gave Cork a 1–9 to 1–6 victory and secured the elusive eighth All-Ireland medal. He also became
2934-420: A goalkeeper, three full backs, three half backs, two midfielders, three half forwards and three full forwards (see diagram). The panel is made up of 24–30 players and five substitutions are allowed per game. An exception can now be made in the case of a blood substitute being necessary. Blood substitutes are a result of one player needing medical treatment for a laceration, usually stitches, and another coming on as
3097-403: A great save." After the sliotar had been cleared Ring raced in and grabbed Foley by the hair and said "You little black bastard you've beaten us". Foley replied "It's about so and so time someone did" before both men shook hands and Ring congratulated him on his save. Within a minute the ball dropped into Foley again and after it was cleared it made its way up the pitch and was buried in the back of
3260-407: A greater spread of counties represented, with the club champions of Antrim , Cork, Galway , Kilkenny , Tipperary and Wexford all claiming the All-Ireland title. Kilkenny clubs were dominant by winning five championship titles between 1981 and 1991. Ballyhale Shamrocks won three of these titles with victories in 1981, 1984 and 1990. The resurgence of non-traditional teams at inter-county level
3423-423: A hurley in their hand, must wear a helmet and faceguard at all times. Match officials will be obliged to stop play if any player at any level appears on the field of play without the necessary standard of equipment. Senior inter-county matches last 70 minutes (35 minutes per half). All other matches last 60 minutes (30 minutes per half). For teams under-13 and lower, games may be shortened to 50 minutes. Timekeeping
SECTION 20
#17327911422363586-613: A longer All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship . Pay-for-play remains controversial and the Gaelic Players Association continues to grow in strength. The inauguration of the Christy Ring Cup and Nicky Rackard Cup gave new championships and an opportunity to play in Croke Park to the weaker county teams. Further dissemination of the championship structure was completed in 2009 with the addition of
3749-484: A mainstream sport, especially Joe Maher, a leading expert at the sport in Boston . The Milwaukee Hurling Club , with 300 members, is the largest Hurling club in the world outside Ireland, and is made of all Americans and very few Irish immigrants. The St. Louis Gaelic Athletic Club was established in 2002 and has expanded its organization to an eight team hurling league in the spring and six team Gaelic football league in
3912-422: A mentor to the St. Finbarr's College senior team, he guided them to their first two All-Ireland and Harty Cup triumphs in 1963 and 1969. At club level Ring was instrumental as a selector with Glen Rovers when they claimed their inaugural All-Ireland title in 1973, having earlier annexed the Munster and county senior championship titles. It was with the Cork senior team that he enjoyed his greatest successes as
4075-456: A mile from the small village of Cloyne in rural East Cork . He had two brothers, Willie John and Paddy Joe, and two sisters – Katie and Mary Agnes. His family later moved to Cloyne where they occupied a house on Spittal Street, commonly referred to as Spit Lane. His father worked as a gardener for local landowners and, as a former Cloyne hurler , he instilled a passion for the game in his young son by taking him to club games in Cork , making
4238-416: A minor hurler for St. Enda's led to him being considered for the Cork minor hurling panel. He was only sixteen years-old throughout the championship campaign and was not selected for any of the provincial stages or for the All-Ireland semi-final. He was later listed as one of the substitutes for the subsequent All-Ireland final against Kilkenny . He played no part in that game which Cork won by 8–5 to 2–7. As
4401-467: A number of features with Gaelic football , such as the field and goals, the number of players and much terminology . The same game played by women is called camogie ( camógaíocht ), which shares a common Gaelic root. The objective of the game is for players to use an ash wood stick called a hurley (in Irish a camán , pronounced / ˈ k æ m ən / or / k ə ˈ m ɔː n / ) to hit
4564-473: A number of players. Ring is widely regarded as one of the greatest hurlers in the history of the game, with many former players, commentators and fans rating him as the number one player of all time. Born in Cloyne , County Cork , Ring first played competitive hurling following encouragement from his local national school teachers Michael O'Brien and Jerry Moynihan. He first appeared on the Cloyne minor team at
4727-458: A pass from Josie Hartnett, fought his way through two defenders and, from a kneeling position, palmed the sliotar to the net. A minute later he netted his second goal after a solo-run down the left wing. After a Vivian Cobbe point steadied Limerick, Ring netted his third goal for a 5–5 to 3–5 victory and he won a ninth winners' medal. For the second time in three years, Cork faced Wexford in the All-Ireland final on 23 September 1956. The game reached
4890-417: A point (wave white flag), or a goal (wave green flag). Contrary to popular belief within the association, all officials are not obliged to indicate "any misdemeanours" to the referee, but are in fact permitted to inform the referee only of violent conduct they have witnessed which has occurred without the referee's knowledge. A linesman or umpire is not permitted to inform the referee of technical fouls such as
5053-414: A score consisting of at least one goal and one point is read as simply the two numbers, so Wexford's 1–13 is read "one thirteen"; the words "goals" and "points" invariably omitted. Goals are never "converted" into points; it is incorrect to describe a score of 1–13 as "sixteen". 2–0 would be referred to as "two goals", never "two zero". Likewise, 0–10 would be referred to as "ten points", never "zero ten". 0–0
Christy Ring - Misplaced Pages Continue
5216-482: A second championship medal. Divisional side Carrigdhoun provided the opposition as Glen Rovers reached the 1945 championship final in search of their tenth title. In what was probably the most exciting decider in which the club had been involved in so far, the Glen were five goals ahead after 25 minutes having played with a gale-force wind, however, Carrigdhoun fought back to reduce the arrears and set up an exciting finish. Ring top scored with 0–6 as Glen Rovers retained
5379-540: A second successive league final. A 4–11 to 2–7 defeat of Dublin gave Ring a second league medal. Cork were well placed going into the subsequent championship and were drawn to play Tipperary in the Munster semi-final. An outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in Tipperary changed matters and the match was called off the previous Monday by order of the Department of Agriculture . Tipperary, and other counties affected by
5542-401: A second. Further goals by Quirke, O'Sullivan and Mick Brennan in the second half secured a 5–11 to 0–6 victory. It was one of the most one-sided championship deciders of all time, however, it did give Ring his very first All-Ireland medal at senior level. On 26 October 1941, Cork faced Tipperary in the delayed Munster final. The exertion of winning the All-Ireland had taken its toll on some of
5705-421: A selector. After an unsuccessful campaign in his first season on the selection panel in 1973, Ring was dropped the following year before being reinstated in 1975. Over the next three years, Cork claimed successive All-Ireland titles. Ring was most famous for his scoring prowess, physical strength and career longevity. He remains the only player to have competed at inter-county level in four different decades. Often
5868-478: A small ball called a sliotar / ˈ ʃ l ɪ t ər / between the opponent's goalposts either over the crossbar for one point or under the crossbar into a net guarded by a goalkeeper for three points. The sliotar can be caught in the hand and carried for not more than four steps, struck in the air or struck on the ground with the hurley. It can be kicked, or slapped with an open hand (the hand pass), for short-range passing. A player who wants to carry
6031-502: A temporary replacement while the injured player is tended to. From 1 January 2010, the wearing of helmets with faceguards became compulsory for hurlers at all levels. This saw senior players follow the regulations already introduced in 2009 at minor and under 21 grades. The GAA hopes to significantly reduce the number of injuries by introducing the compulsory wearing of helmets with full faceguards, both in training and matches. Hurlers of all ages, including those at nursery clubs when holding
6194-467: A third successive All-Ireland winners' medal for Ring. An unprecedented fourth successive All-Ireland was within Cork's reach in 1944, however, Cork were nearly beaten by Limerick in the Munster final. After leading by nine points at one stage on the second half, a Limerick resurgence was spearheaded by the Mackey brothers, Dick Stokes , Paddy McCarthy and Dave Clohessy . Limerick had a two-point lead as
6357-579: A tour of Ireland, where they played against the County teams from Kilkenny , Tipperary , Limerick , Dublin and Wexford .Traditionally, hurling was a game played by Irish immigrants and discarded by their children. Many American hurling teams took to raising money to import players directly from Ireland. In recent years, this has changed considerably with the advent of the Internet and increased travel. The Barley House Wolves hurling team from New Hampshire
6520-507: A young team, however, Glen Rovers had eight inter-county players on their team. In spite of this, Blackrock stood up to the champions and the result remained in doubt to the end. A 3–7 to 3–2 victory secured an eighth championship medal for Ring, while he also had the honour of lifting the Seán Óg Murphy Cup . Glen Rovers lost the next two championship deciders, while Ring was ruled out of the Glen's 1958 championship triumph after being sent off in
6683-636: Is a fixture of life in many parts of Ireland. Hurling has some popularity among members of the Irish diaspora in North America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Dubai and Argentina. It has featured regularly in art forms such as film, music and literature . The final of the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship was listed in second place by CNN in its "10 sporting events you have to see live", after
Christy Ring - Misplaced Pages Continue
6846-513: Is at the discretion of the referee who adds on stoppage time at the end of each half. In 2020, water breaks were brought in after the first 15 minutes in each half. There are various solutions for knockout games that end in a draw, such as a replay, or what the rules refer to as "Winner on the Day" measures such as extra time (20 minutes), further extra time (10 more minutes), or a shoot-out. The application and details of these measures vary according to
7009-569: Is frequently referred to as "The Golden Age of Hurling". This was when members of the Anglo-Irish landed gentry kept teams of players on their estates and challenged each other's teams to matches for the amusement of their tenants. One of the first modern attempts to standardise the game with a formal, written set of rules came with the foundation of the Irish Hurling Union at Trinity College Dublin in 1879. It aimed "to draw up
7172-706: Is noted in Continental Europe, Australia, and North America. Irish immigrants began arriving in Argentina in the 19th century. The earliest reference to hurling in Argentina dates from the late 1880s in Mercedes, Buenos Aires . However, the game was not actively promoted until 1900, when it came to the attention of author and newspaperman William Bulfin . Under Bulfin's patronage, the Hurling Club
7335-467: Is said "no score". So the Wexford/Limerick match score would be read as "Wexford one thirteen, Limerick fourteen points". Players may be tackled but not struck by a one-handed slash of the stick; exceptions are two-handed jabs and strikes. Jersey-pulling, wrestling, pushing, and tripping are all forbidden. There are several forms of acceptable tackling, the most popular being: A hurling match
7498-411: Is scored, and a green flag is raised by an umpire. A goal must be scored by either a striking motion or by directly soloing the ball into the net. The goal is guarded by a goalkeeper. Scores are recorded in the format {goal total} – {point total}. For example, the 1996 All-Ireland final finished: Wexford 1–13 Limerick 0–14. Thus Wexford won by two points (1–13 being worth sixteen points). In speech,
7661-546: Is the only non-Irish team to have won the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship (having captured the title in 1901 ), and after winning the 2012 Christy Ring Cup gained the right to contest the Liam MacCarthy Cup in 2013. The first ever hurling game played in the Scottish Highlands was played at Easter 2012 between CLG Micheal Breathnach and Fir Uladh, an Ulster select of Gaeiligoiri, as part of
7824-409: Is watched over by eight officials: The referee is responsible for starting and stopping play, recording the score, awarding frees, noting infractions, and issuing yellow (caution) and red (sending off) penalty cards to players after offences. A second yellow card at the same game leads to a red card, and therefore to a dismissal. Linesmen are responsible for indicating the direction of line balls to
7987-651: The Táin Bó Cuailnge (drawing on earlier legends) describes the hero Cúchulainn playing hurling at Emain Macha . Similar tales are told about Fionn Mac Cumhail and the Fianna , his legendary warrior band. Recorded references to hurling appear in many places such as the fourteenth century Statutes of Kilkenny and a fifteenth-century grave slab surviving in Inishowen , County Donegal . The eighteenth century
8150-646: The 2020 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Final that hurling was "the best sport ever and if the Irish had colonised the world, nobody would ever have heard of football ". UNESCO lists hurling as an element of intangible cultural heritage . A hurling pitch is similar in some respects to a rugby pitch but larger. The grass pitch is rectangular, stretching 130–145 metres (140–160 yards) long and 80–90 m (90–100 yd) wide. There are H -shaped goalposts at each end, formed by two posts, which are usually 6–7 metres (20–23 feet) high, set 6.5 m (21 ft) apart, and connected 2.5 m (8.2 ft) above
8313-452: The GAA 's Congress in 1969. The motion was successful and the competition eventually began in 1970–71. The difficult nature of qualifying for the All-Ireland Championship via the individual county and provincial championships has meant that individual clubs have rarely dominated for prolonged periods of time, however, there have been exceptions. The first decade of the All-Ireland Championship
SECTION 50
#17327911422368476-699: The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). It is the highest inter-county club hurling competition in Ireland , and has been contested every year since the 1970–71 championship (except for 2020-21, due to the COVID-19 pandemic). The final, currently held on the third Sunday in January, is the culmination of a series of games played between October and February with the winners receiving the Tommy Moore Cup . The All-Ireland Championship has always been played on
8639-631: The Hurling Team of the Century in 1984 and the Hurling Team of the Millennium in 2000, while he was also named as the Century's Best Hurler by the Irish Times . Nicholas Christopher Michael Ring was the second youngest son of Nicholas (7 December 1892 – 12 March 1937) and Mary (née Lawton) Ring (1 November 1889 – 8 August 1953), and was born on 30 October 1920 at Kilboy Cross, less than
8802-621: The London champions in a quarter-final. The London champions now play in the Intermediate Championship. The All-Ireland Final is played in Croke Park in January. Schedule: Managers in the All-Ireland Club Championship are involved in the day-to-day running of the team, including the training, team selection, and sourcing of players. Their influence varies from club-to-club and is related to
8965-660: The London Senior Hurling Championship were allowed to enter. They entered the All-Ireland series at the newly created quarter-final stage and played one of the four provincial champions in rotation. This system lasted until 2004. Since then the London champions have contested the All-Ireland Intermediate Club Hurling Championship . After several years of being regarded as the most uncompetitive of
9128-668: The Lory Meagher Cup to make it a four tier championship. Hurling was an unofficial sport at the 1904 Summer Olympics in St. Louis, Missouri , in the United States. In the final, Fenian F.C. (Chicago) USA beat Innisfails (St. Louis). This was the only time hurling was in the Olympics . Although many hurling clubs exist worldwide, only Ireland has a national team (although it includes only players from weaker counties in order to ensure matches are competitive). It and
9291-698: The Olympic Games and ahead of both the FIFA World Cup and UEFA European Championship . After covering the 1959 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Final between Kilkenny and Waterford for BBC Television , English football commentator Kenneth Wolstenholme was moved to describe hurling as his second favourite sport in the world. Alex Ferguson used footage of an All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship final in an attempt to motivate his players during his time as manager of Premier League football club Manchester United . The players winced at
9454-717: The Taoiseach (Prime Minister) at the time, Éamon de Valera . South African hurling continued to prosper until the outbreak of the Second World War , which caused immigration from Ireland to cease and made it impossible to import equipment. Games of hurling and Gaelic football were occasionally sponsored by the Christian Brothers schools in Boksburg and Pretoria well into the 1950s. Both games have all but ceased to be played. References to hurling on
9617-421: The sliotar between the opposition's goal posts. The posts, which are at each end of the field, are H posts as in rugby football but with a net under the crossbar as in football. The posts are 6.4 m apart and the crossbar is 2.44 m above the ground. If the ball goes over the crossbar, a point is scored and a white flag is raised by an umpire. If the ball goes below the crossbar, a goal , worth three points,
9780-601: The 1850s refer to occasional matches played in San Francisco, Hoboken and New York City. The first game of hurling played under GAA rules outside Ireland was played on Boston Common in June 1886. In 1888, there was an American tour by fifty Gaelic athletes from Ireland, known as the 'American Invasion'. This created enough interest among Irish Americans to lay the groundwork for the North American GAA . By
9943-731: The 1920s led to the foundation of the Transvaal Hurling Association in Johannesburg in 1928. Games were traditionally played in a pitch on the site of the modern day Johannesburg Central Railway Station every Easter Sunday after Mass . In 1932, a South African hurling team sailed to Ireland to compete in the Tailteann Games , where they carried a banner donated by a convent of Irish nuns in Cape Town . On their arrival, they were personally received by
SECTION 60
#173279114223610106-484: The 1930s and 1940s, Glen Rovers of Cork and Ahane of Limerick regularly clashed in off-season games. In the 1950s the Cork Churches Tournament came to be recognised as the unofficial All-Ireland Club Championship. The tournament was an initiative by the then Bishop of Cork and Ross , Cornelius Lucey , to raise money to build five new churches in the fast developing suburbs of Cork . Participation
10269-511: The All-Ireland defeat, Ring ended the year as the championship's top scorer. Cork qualified for their ninth Munster final in ten seasons in 1948, with Waterford providing the opposition. Many expected an easy Cork victory, however, the Waterford team held a narrow 2–3 to 1–5 half-time advantage. Ring contributed 1–4 over the hour, however, his last-gasp shot to draw the match after a 30-yards solo-run tailed off and went wide. The match ended with
10432-404: The All-Ireland final on 7 September 1952. The Christy Ring- Des Ferguson duel was a highlight of the game, as Cork took a narrow 1–5 to 0–5 half-time lead after a Liam Dowling goal. Cork took complete control after the interval, with Dowling netting a second goal and Ring adding four points to the two he already scored in the first half. A 2–14 to 0–7 victory gave him his sixth All-Ireland medal. At
10595-584: The All-Ireland semi-finals. Each of Ireland's 32 counties play their own championship between all the hurling clubs in the county – depending on the county, it can be league, knockout, or a mixture of both. The 32 county champions play in the 4 provincial championships, with the four winners of these advancing to the All-Ireland Semi-Finals. Until the introduction of the Intermediate and Junior Championships one team usually played
10758-588: The All-Ireland title on 14 separate occasions. The title has been won by 26 clubs, 10 of whom have won the title more than once. The current holders and all-time record-holders are Ballyhale Shamrocks , who have won the championship on 9 occasions. St Thomas' are the title holders, defeating O'Loughlin Gaels by 0-18 to 0-17 in the 2024 final. Since the foundation of the Gaelic Athletic Association in 1884, challenge, exhibition and tournament matches between clubs on an inter-county level were commonplace. Throughout
10921-747: The Celts. The earliest written references to the sport in Brehon law date from the 5th century. Seamus King's book A History of Hurling references oral history going back as far as 1200 BCE of the game being played in Tara , County Meath. Hurling is related to the games of shinty that is played primarily in Scotland, cammag on the Isle of Man and bando which was played formerly in England and Wales. The tale of
11084-401: The Cork net by Nicky Rackard giving Wexford a 2–14 to 2–8 victory. With seconds remaining in the final and Wexford holding onto a two-point lead, In what was only his second All-Ireland final defeat, Ring was denied his ninth All-Ireland medal. In the moments after the final whistle Nick O'Donnell, Bobby Rackard and Art Foley raised Ring onto their shoulders and carried him off the field in what
11247-408: The Cork players who took a less than serious attitude to the game. Some players were accused of even being drunk during the match. Consequently, Cork were defeated by 5–4 to 2–5, thus creating the anomaly of being All-Ireland champions but Munster runners-up. Losing the Munster decider tainted Ring's view of the worth of the All-Ireland title, however, in 1942 Cork were given the opportunity to reverse
11410-482: The Ennis Road meant that the players had to abandon their cars and physically jostle their way through the crowd to make the throw-in time. At half-time Tipperary were out of sight by 3–3 to 0–1. The game ended on a sour note when Ring and John Doyle became involved in a punch-up while Tom Moloughney was knocked to the ground, allegedly after being struck by Ring. Tipperary won the game by 3–6 to 0–7, however, Ring
11573-408: The Glen's sister club, St. Nicholas' , he also won a county senior championship medal. He retired from club hurling at the age of forty-six following a victory over University College Cork in the 1967 championship quarter-final. Over the course of his senior championship career Ring estimated that he played in 1,200 games. Ring made his debut on the inter-county scene at the age of sixteen when he
11736-400: The Glen's sixth goal of the game and secured his fifth championship medal following the 6–5 to 0–14 victory. Southside rivals St. Finbarr's were the opponents as Glen Rovers were determined to make it three titles in-a-row in the 1950 championship final. St. Finbarr's had the advantage of a very strong breeze in the first half and mounted attack after attack on the Glen goal but failed to raise
11899-561: The Glen's winning streak to eight successive championships. For Ring it was his first winners' medal. Nine-in-a-row proved beyond Glen Rovers as Ballincollig exacted their revenge in the semi-final of the 1942 championship. After a season of reorganisation, which saw the introduction of nine new players to the team, Glen Rovers reached the 1944 championship final where they faced reigning champions and three-in-a-row hopefuls St. Finbarr's. Ring was, once again, hugely influential and contributed 0–5 from centre-forward. The 5–7 to 3–3 victory gave him
12062-705: The Hurling Festival within The Gathering events organised by Aer Lingus . This team was present in September 2013 in the city of Galway . The team consists of 21 players from Hockey and Rugby teams. Many have contributed to the return of hurling as an activity in the club. As an example we can name Alejandro Yoyo Wade, Johnny Wade, Barbie, Cecilia and Irene Scally, David Ganly, Dickie Mac Allister, Eduardo Cabrera Punter, Hernan Magrini Scally. Several Irish have participated in many opportunities to work with
12225-735: The Iomain Cholmcille festival, na Breathnaich coming out victorious. Wales has its own club, St. Colmcilles in Cardiff. Soldiers who served in the Irish Brigade during the Anglo-Boer War are believed to have played the game on the veldt . Immigrants from County Wicklow who had arrived to work in the explosives factory in Umbogintwini , KwaZulu-Natal formed a team c. 1915–16. A major burst of immigration in
12388-510: The Munster final. Limerick had already qualified for the final as a result of victory over Clare . Cork easily accounted for Limerick, who were without Mick and John Mackey , by 8–10 to 2–3 and qualified for the All-Ireland final on 28 September 1941. Dublin, who were nominated by the Leinster Council , to represent the province provided little resistance. Johnny Quirke opened the goal-scoring for Cork before Ted O'Sullivan netted
12551-722: The North American continent date from the 1780s in modern-day Canada concerning immigrants from County Waterford and County Kilkenny , and also, in New York City. After the end of the American Revolution , references to hurling cease in American newspapers until the aftermath of the Great Famine when Irish people moved to America in huge numbers, bringing the game with them. Newspaper reports from
12714-422: The Scotland shinty team have played for many years with modified match rules (as with International Rules Football ). The match is the only such international competition. However, competition at club level has been going on around the world since the late nineteenth century thanks to emigration from Ireland, and the strength of the game has ebbed and flowed along with emigration trends. Nowadays, growth in hurling
12877-526: The age of twelve before later winning a county minor championship medal with the nearby St Enda's team. A county junior championship medal with Cloyne followed. However, a dispute with club officials saw Ring join Glen Rovers in Blackpool in 1941. Over the next twenty-six years with the club, Ring won one Munster medal and fourteen county senior championship medals. As a Gaelic footballer with
13040-430: The award. Ring finished the 1959–60 league as top scorer, including 3–4 in Cork's league final defeat by Tipperary. Both sides renewed their rivalry in the subsequent Munster final. Described as the toughest game of hurling ever played, Cork enjoyed most of the possession in the first half, however, Tipperary led by a goal at the interval thanks to the accuracy of Jimmy Doyle . They stretched their lead to five points in
13203-410: The ball for more than four steps has to bounce or balance the sliotar on the end of the stick (solo), and the ball can be handled only twice while in the player's possession. Provided that a player has at least one foot on the ground, he may make a shoulder-to-shoulder charge on an opponent who is in possession of the ball or is playing the ball, or when both players are moving in the direction of
13366-406: The ball. No protective padding is worn by players. A plastic protective helmet with a faceguard is mandatory for all age groups as of 2010. The game has been described as "a bastion of humility", with player names absent from jerseys and a player's number decided by his position on the field. Hurling is administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). It is played throughout the world and
13529-428: The bar again. The 3–8 to 1–12 victory gave Ring his eleventh championship medal. Four-in-a-row once again proved beyond the Glen, however, the team endured a hard-fought campaign in 1962. In the semi-final against Imokilly 41-year-old Ring rolled back the years and scored three goals in the last fifteen minutes to help the team qualify for the final against University College Cork. The Glen led 3–3 to 0–2 at half-time but
13692-425: The championship decider. The game was regarded as one of the most thrill-packed and nerve-shattering games in the history of the championship. With time running out the Glen were behind, however, Ring pointed a free from the sideline to level the game. Johnny Clifford secured the lead when his sideline cut went straight over the bar. He gave the Glen a two-point lead straight from the puck-out when his shot sailed over
13855-420: The championship final. The Glen were underdogs and looked well beaten in half a dozen vital outfield positions in the opening thirty minutes. All changed in the second half with Ring scoring a vital goal to give the Glen the lead. "The Barr's" battled back, however, at the full-time whistle the Glen were the champions and Ring collected a remarkable thirteenth championship medal and captained the team to victory for
14018-421: The championship title following a 4–10 to 5–3 victory. After defeat by St. Finbarr's in the 1946 championship final, Glen Rovers saw a number of changes to the team when they next contested the decider in 1948. Retirement and emigration and forced a number of changes, with Ring once again filling a midfield berth. Ring had a quiet game by his standards as Glen veterans such as Jack Lynch and Johnny Quirke secured
14181-432: The college team powered by many inter-county stars fought back and went ahead with a minute to go but Tom Corbett sent over the equaliser with seconds left and secured a 3–7 to 2–10 draw. The replay proved to be even more exciting than the drawn match as Joe Salmon and Ring were singled out as the key figures in the Glen's 3–8 to 2–10 victory. Ring was appointed club captain again in 1964 as Glen Rovers faced St. Finbarr's in
14344-421: The corresponding fixture the previous year, with Ring scoring 0–3 in the opening exchanges. In spite of losing goalkeeper Ned Porter to an injury, Cork finished the stronger and a Derry Beckett goal at the end put the result beyond doubt. The 2–4 to 3–4 victory gave Ring his second successive All-Ireland medal. Ring was instrumental in helping Cork to retain the Munster title in 1943. His contribution of 1–3 in
14507-495: The county team, claimed All-Ireland titles in 1996 and 1999. Offaly club Birr became the most dominant team at the turn of the century. Between 1995 and 2003 the club became the first to win four All-Ireland titles, however, this record was bettered by Ballyhale Shamrocks who won a record-breaking fifth championship in 2010. Portumna of Galway dominated the new century by winning four All-Ireland titles between 2006 and 2014. The All-Ireland Championship has always been played as
14670-556: The course of the next quarter of a century, Ring won eight All-Ireland medals, including a record four championships in a row from 1941 to 1944, a lone triumph in 1946 and three championships in a row from 1952 to 1954. The first player to lift the Liam MacCarthy Cup three times as captain, he was denied a record-breaking ninth All-Ireland medal in 1956 in what was his last All-Ireland final appearance. Ring also won nine Munster medals, four National Hurling League medals and
14833-423: The defeat when they qualified to meet Tipperary in the provincial final again. The game was played on an even keel for 45 minutes, however, a more youthful Cork side pulled away in the final quarter to win by 4–15 to 4–1. The victory gave Ring, who scored 0–5, his first Munster medal. Cork subsequently qualified to face Dublin in the All-Ireland final on 6 September 1942. The match was much more evenly contested than
14996-438: The disease, wanted officials to put back the All-Ireland final, but Central Council would not agree. The council ruled that teams be nominated and if a nominated team won the All-Ireland that team would be awarded the 1941 championship. The Munster Council decided that Cork and Limerick should play off for the right to represent the province in the All-Ireland final. It was also agreed that the winners would play Tipperary later in
15159-409: The double scores 5–7 to 3–2 victory over roll of honour leaders Blackrock . Glen Rovers were presented with their chance of retaining their title when they faced divisional side Imokilly in the 1949 championship decider. On a day of incessant rain, the game was described as one of the best of the year. Donie Twomey and Jack Lynch were the stars of the team as they bagged 5–2 between them. Ring scored
15322-466: The eighteen-mile journey by bicycle with his son on the cross-bar. Ring was educated at the local national school in Cloyne, where he was noted as a quiet but diligent pupil. On one occasion, the schoolmaster, Maurice Spillane, offered a prize of a hurley and sliotar to the boy who would get the highest grade in the school. Ring applied himself diligently and got first place among forty-eight pupils. As
15485-555: The end of 1889, almost a dozen GAA clubs existed in America, many of them in and around New York City, Philadelphia and Chicago. Later, clubs were formed in Boston, Cleveland , and many other centers of Irish America. Concord, New Hampshire has its state's only hurling team, New Hampshire Wolves, sponsored by Litherman's Limited Craft Brewery. In 1910, twenty-two hurlers, composed of an equal number from Chicago and New York, conducted
15648-644: The end of the year Ring was runner-up to Cavan Gaelic footballer Mick Higgins when the Gaelic Sportsman invited its readers to select the Sportsman of the Year. Cork and Tipperary renewed their rivalry in 1953, when a record crowd of over 38,000 saw them contest the final of the league. Paddy Barry and Jimmy Lynam gave Cork a comfortable lead after scoring two goals as Tipperary missed several scoring chances. Paddy Kennedy responded with two goals at
15811-482: The end to narrow Cork's margin of victory to 2–10 to 2–7. It was Ring's fourth league medal overall. For the subsequent championship campaign, county champions Avondhu had the right to the captaincy of the Cork team. In an unprecedented but popular move, the North Cork division named Ring as captain. Having already met in the league decider, Cork and Tipperary qualified to meet in the Munster final as well. In one of
15974-646: The fact that one newspaper dubbed the game "Two Degrees Safer Than War". Arden Street Oval in North Melbourne was used by Irish immigrants during the 1920s. The game in Australasia is administered by Australasia GAA . Hurling was brought to Great Britain in the 19th century. The game is administered by British GAA . Warwickshire and Lancashire compete at inter-county level in the Lory Meagher Cup , competing against other counties in Ireland. London
16137-1489: The fall. They also have a 30-member camogie league. Saint Louis has won two National Championships in Jr C Hurling (2004 and 2011), as well as two National Championships in Jr D Gaelic Football (2005, and 2013). The Indianapolis Hurling Club began in 2002, then reformed in 2005. In 2008, the Indy Hurling Club won the Junior C National Championship. In 2011, Indy had 7 club teams and sent a Junior B, Junior C and Camogie team to nationals. Hurling continues to grow in popularity with teams now in Knoxville, TN , Charleston, SC , Orlando, FL , Tampa, FL , Augusta, GA , Greenville, SC , Indianapolis, IN , Worcester, MA , Corvallis, OR , Akron, OH , Raleigh, NC , Concord, NH , Portland, Maine , Providence, RI , Twin Cities, MN , Madison, WI , Milwaukee, WI , Washington, DC , Hampton Roads, VA , Rochester NY , Nashville, TN , Richmond, VA , Hartford, CT , Missoula, MT , Butte, MT and Seattle, WA . The GAA have also begun to invest in American college students with university teams springing up at University of Connecticut , Stanford University , UC Berkeley , Purdue University , Indiana University , University of Montana and other schools. On 31 January 2009,
16300-458: The fastest field sports on earth and only played with a facemask and helmet as protection, making injury an unavoidable feature of the game without further padding. The two most common sites of injury in hurling are the fingers and the hamstrings. Hurling is also considered to have "a notable proportion of blunt scrotal trauma." Hurling is older than the recorded history of Ireland. It is thought to predate Christianity, having come to Ireland with
16463-417: The final quarter, however, a last-minute Cork goal left the result in doubt once again. Tipperary eventually won a gruelling contest by 4–13 to 4–11. 1961 followed a similar pattern to the year before. Ring was once again the top scorer for the 1960–61 season and, once again, Cork and Tipperary lined out against each other in the Munster final. An official attendance of 62,175 was the biggest ever recorded at
16626-555: The first captain to receive the Liam MacCarthy Cup on three occasions. Four-in-a-row proved beyond Cork as they were shocked by a Jimmy Smyth -inspired Clare in the 1955 Munster quarter-final. The defeat sparked several retirements and an influx of some new players to the Cork team which qualified to play reigning champions Limerick in the 1956 Munster final. With a quarter of the match remaining, Limerick were six points ahead, while Donal Broderick had prevented Ring from making any significant contribution. With time running out Ring took
16789-415: The first ever US collegiate hurling match was held between UC Berkeley and Stanford University, organized by the newly formed California Collegiate Gaelic Athletic Association. UC Berkeley won the challenge match by one point, while Stanford won the next two CCGAA matches to win the first collegiate cup competition in the U.S. On Memorial Day Weekend of 2011, the first ever National Collegiate GAA championship
16952-503: The first round of 1952 looked like heralding a fallow period. The club returned stronger than ever when they qualified for the 1953 championship final where they faced Sarsfields once again. After a slow start Glen Rovers gave an exhibition of hurling all over the field, with Rings coring 1–2 in the process. The 8–5 to 4–3 victory secured his seventh championship medal. In 1954 Ring was appointed club captain as Glen Rovers reached their 17th championship final in twenty years. Blackrock fielded
17115-641: The four provincial championships, the Connacht Championship was discontinued in 2009. This has meant that the Galway champions represent the province unopposed and gain automatic entry to the All-Ireland semi-final stage. The GAA All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship features four teams in the final tournament. The champions of Leinster , Munster and Ulster and the Galway champions (a team who are unopposed in their own province) qualify for
17278-404: The game as gates were broken down, walls were scaled at the pitch invaded with supporters. There were supporters on the pitch at the throw-in, while a Cork fan tried to strike Tipperary's Seán Kenny . Despite the raucous nature of the crowd, the Tipperary and Cork players managed to produce a classic game of hurling. A Paddy Kenny goal helped Tipperary into a 1–13 to 1–6 half-time lead. The start of
17441-406: The game by 2–17 to 3–11. Both Cork and Tipperary faced each other once again in the 1951 Munster final. At half time Tipperary led by 0–9 to 1–4, however, the restart saw Cork up the ante. Ring gave an absolute exhibition of scoring, collecting possession, beating tackles and setting up attacks. Tipperary, however, never faltered in the wake of Ring's roaming presence. Playing out the final stages of
17604-484: The game drew to a close, however, Johnny Quirke scored his third goal in what looked like the winning score. Dick Stokes pointed from a free in the last minute to draw the game. The replay created enormous excitement with thousands making their way to Thurles in spite of wartime petrol rationing. With seven minutes left in the match it looked as if Cork's great run of success was at an end. Trailing by four points, Mick Mackey burst through for his second goal, however, play
17767-514: The game for Cork, however, Kilkenny rallied with Terry Leahy and Jim Langton leading the charge. Leahy secured the equalising point before scoring one of the greatest match-winners ever. Having gathered the sliotar from a long clearance by right corner-back Paddy Grace , he struck from around 50 yards out and not far inside the Cusack Stand sideline. Immediately after the puck out the game ended and Kilkenny had won by 0–14 to 2–7. In spite of
17930-447: The game was going against Cloyne, Ring fought through the pain barrier and moved to the forwards where he scored five points. The 6–5 to 2–3 victory over Mayfield secured his first county championship medal at adult level. Following an acrimonious dispute with the Cloyne club committee, Ring and his two brothers left the club. Willie John joined Ballinacurra and Paddy Joe joined Russell Rovers , however, Ring remained unattached from
18093-490: The greatest games of his career, Ring had the sliotar in the Tipperary net from a 25-yards free after just a minute of play. He added eight further points, while also making a remarkable goal-line save to secure a 3–10 to 1–11 victory. For the second time in his career as captain, Ring collected the Munster Cup while he also won his seventh Munster medal. This victory qualified Cork for the All-Ireland final, however, between
18256-447: The green flag. The Glen backs gave one of the finest displays of defensive hurling ever seen in the championship and kept the southsiders tally for the first half to 0–4. "The Barr's" added just one further point to their tally after the interval. The 2–8 to 0–5 victory secured a third successive championship title for the club and a sixth winners' medal for Ring. Sarsfields ended the Glen's hopes of four-in-a-row in 1951, while defeat in
18419-495: The ground by a crossbar. A net extending behind the goal is attached to the crossbar and lower goal posts. The same pitch is used for Gaelic football ; the GAA, which organises both sports, decided this to facilitate dual usage. Lines are marked at distances of 13 metres, 20 metres and 59 metres (41 metres for Gaelic football) from each end-line. Shorter pitches and smaller goals are used by youth teams. Teams consist of fifteen players:
18582-430: The half-way line, Ring took off on a solo-run at speed and dodged several Kilkenny defenders. After reaching the 21-yard line he let off a shoulder-high shot which flew straight to the net. Cork scored five more goals after the interval as they powered to a 7–5 to 3–8 victory. The victory secured a fifth All-Ireland medal in six seasons for Ring, while he also had the honour of collecting the Liam MacCarthy Cup on behalf of
18745-415: The hands of Tipperary in the Munster semi-final. In 1959 Cork qualified to play Waterford in the Munster final. Ring contributed 1–5, including a late goal which looked like turning the game in Cork's favour, however, Waterford held out for a 3–9 to 2–9 victory. In spite of a lack of championship success, Ring finished the year by being named Caltex Hurler of the Year . He remains the oldest player ever to win
18908-516: The hurling match attracted a crowd of five hundred Irish immigrants, while the Orange march shivered out of existence. Several hurling clubs existed in Victoria in the 1870s including Melbourne, Collingwood, Upper Yarra, Richmond and Geelong. In 1885, a game between two Sydney-based teams took place before a crowd of over ten thousand spectators. Reportedly, the contest was greatly enjoyed despite
19071-403: The importance of the match and the difficulty of scheduling possible replays, and can change from year to year. The general trend is that the GAA have been trying to reduce the need for replays, to ease scheduling. The following are considered technical fouls ("fouling the ball"): Can be deliberate or accidental, often accompanied by a card. They are as follows: Scoring is achieved by sending
19234-520: The last substitute Ring shared in the victory but received no All-Ireland medal. Ring was eligible for the minor grade again the following year and made his debut in a Cork jersey against Limerick on 22 May 1938. Although he would come to be known as a high-scoring forward, his inter-county career began as a defender. He later won a Munster medal following a 9–3 to 0–0 thrashing of Kerry . The subsequent All-Ireland final on 4 September 1938 saw Ring make his first Croke Park appearance. Dublin provided
19397-748: The local community. The last time that hurling was played in Argentina was in 1980, when the Aer Lingus Hurling Club conducted a three-week tour of the country and played matches at several locations. Since 2009, with the realization of several Summers Camps and the visit of the All Stars in December, hurling returned to be a frequent activity at the Hurling Club, where many boys and young men have since been trained and taught to play. The Hurling Club have even been invited to take part in
19560-439: The match in his bare feet Ring converted two more frees, however, Tipperary held on to win by 2–11 to 2–9. In 1952 Tipperary were presented with the possibility of equalling Cork's record of four successive All-Ireland titles. When both sides met in that year's Munster final, Tipperary looked the likely winners as Cork failed to score for the opening quarter. Trailing by 2–5 to 0–5 at the break, Ring gave an inspirational display in
19723-446: The match, however, a Ring shot from 20 yards was saved by goalkeeper Tony Reddin before falling to the waiting Paddy Barry who clinched the winning goal. The 2–8 to 1–8 victory gave Ring his eighth Munster medal and his third victory as captain. After overcoming Galway in the semi-final, Cork faced Wexford in the All-Ireland final on 5 September 1954. It was their first championship meeting in over fifty years. A record crowd of 84,856 saw
19886-407: The newly crowned All-Ireland champions Kilkenny in the opening round of the 1939–40 National Hurling League . Ring marked four-time All-Ireland medal winner Paddy Phelan and, after a nervous start, settled into the game and scored a point in the 6–5 to 4–7 victory. Cork progressed through the league and qualified for the final against Tipperary . Ring, who was the youngest player on the Cork team,
20049-406: The opposition on that occasion and a tough game of hurling ensued. Ring, in spite of playing in defence, scored a goal from a 21-yard free to help his county to a 7–2 to 5–4 victory. It was his first All-Ireland medal with Cork, in what was his last game in the minor grade. In 1939 Ring went on to become the youngest member of the Cork junior hurling team. There was no place for him in defence and he
20212-410: The pitch from behind Tony Reddin's goal and forced referee Liam O'Donoghue to call a halt to the match. The goalkeeper had oranges and overcoats thrown at him as he carried out his duties and on one occasion a supporter held him by the jersey as he went to clear the sliotar. Every Cork score was greeted by a pitch invasion, while pleas from Jack Lynch and Ring failed to quell them. Tipperary eventually won
20375-462: The players refreshed themselves with a creamery churn full of cold water. Cork on the other hand remained out on the field in what was one of the warmest days ever recorded in Ireland. Tipperary took to the field a much fresher team and an early goal from Mick Ryan gave them the lead and they held out to win by 2–8 to 1–9. Tipp's Tommy Doyle , who earlier in the year ad been coaxed out of retirement, gave an inspired display by holding Ring scoreless for
20538-528: The post-match reception at the Gresham Hotel when an unknown Galway player struck Ring in retaliation as he was leaving the ballroom. To compound matters, both sets of players were staying in Barry's Hotel. At breakfast the following morning Ring was punched in the face by another Galway player who then made a quick escape. Several more Galway players gathered across the road from the hotel and more fighting
20701-411: The referee and also for conferring with the referee. The fourth official is responsible for overseeing substitutions, and also indicating the amount of stoppage time (signalled to him by the referee) and the players substituted using an electronic board. The umpires are responsible for judging the scoring. They indicate to the referee whether a shot was: wide (spread both arms), a 65 m puck (raise one arm),
20864-434: The resultant puck-out and Cork were defeated by 4–7 to 3–9. In 1949 Ring endured the most torrid 150 minutes of championship hurling as Cork faced Tipperary in the Munster quarter-final. Tipperary had a relatively young and inexperienced team, however, for most of the match it looked as if youth would trump experience and with only a few minutes to spare they were ahead by 3–10 to 2–9. A solo effort from Jack Lynch, who by know
21027-425: The second half was delayed by yet another pitch invasion, and when it finally got under way, Ring dragged his team back into the contest by slaloming through the Tipperary defence and rifling the ball the sliotar to the net. As the match drifted away from their team the Cork fans grew more and more frustrated, and when a Jimmy Kennedy point put Tipperary 2–17 to 2–9 ahead with just ten minutes remaining, hundreds invaded
21190-499: The second half, however, a third goal from Tom O'Sullivan put the result beyond doubt and secured a 3–3 to 0–8 victory for Cork. As captain, Ring collected the Liam MacCarthy Cup for the second time in his career, while he also won a record seventh All-Ireland medal. In spite of victory, the game remained controversial over the alleged hitting of Galway captain Mickey Burke by Ring during the second half. There were ugly scenes at
21353-429: The second half. After being denied twice by Tipperary goalkeeper Tony Reddin , he set up Liam Dowling for a vital goal to leave Cork just a point in arrears. As the umpire was slow to raise the green flag to signal the goal, Ring ran in and waved it himself to the delight of the Cork supporters. Cork held out for the lead and won the game by 1–11 to 2–6. For the first time in eight years, Cork subsequently faced Dublin in
21516-415: The second time. The Glen's success took on extra significance as they became the first club to represent Cork in the newly created Munster Club Championship . After little interest in the opening rounds of the championship and lengthy delays, the Glen qualified to meet Mount Sion in the provincial decider. After the initial game was abandoned, Ring gave an exhibition of his skills in the replay and collected
21679-555: The semi-final. In spite of watching the game from the stands he still collected a ninth championship medal having played in the earlier rounds. He was back on the starting fifteen as Glen Rovers faced Blackrock in the 1959 championship final. Once again the game went to the wire and it was Ring who scored the winning goal with four minutes remaining. His tally of 1–6 was vital in securing the 3–11 to 3–5 victory and his own tenth championship medal. A third successive championship beckoned in 1960 as Glen Rovers faced University College Cork in
21842-480: The sides on level terms after the first quarter. A scramble after a sideline ball resulted in a Wexford goal by Tom Ryan after 26 minutes which gave them a 1–3 to 0–5 lead. With a strong breeze in their favour in the second half, Cork looked in a very strong position. Nicky Rackard had switched from full-forward to centre-forward to curb the long clearances of Vincy Twomey . By the tenth minute points from Tim Flood and Paddy Kehoe had Wexford 1–6 to 0–5 ahead. Then
22005-691: The skills and education: Jonathan Lynch, Kevin O'Connors and Michael Connery, who currently works with the team's training to participate in the Aer Lingus International Hurling Festival. The earliest reference to hurling in Australia is related in the book "Sketches of Garryowen". On 12 July 1844, a match took place at Batman's Hill in Melbourne as a counterpoint to a march by the Orange Order . Reportedly,
22168-443: The sliotar appeared to rebound off the stanchion supporting the net before being cleared. In spite of Ring protesting with the officials, the referee waved the play on. After five minutes of injury time Cork still led by 1–5 to 0–5, however, Jimmy Kennedy scored the equalising goal and the game headed for extra-time. Both sides took different approaches as extra-time was about to be played. Tipperary retired to their dressing room where
22331-424: The standard of physicality and intensity in which the hurlers engaged. In 2007, Forbes magazine described the media attention and population multiplication of Thurles town ahead of one of the game's annual provincial hurling finals as being "the rough equivalent of 30 million Americans watching a regional lacrosse game". Financial Times columnist Simon Kuper wrote after Stephen Bennett 's performance in
22494-464: The starting fifteen for the following twenty-two years. He scored 42–105 as he won a record eighteen Railway Cup medals during that period, in an era when his skill and prowess drew crowds of up to 50,000 to Croke Park for the annual final on Saint Patrick's Day . Ring's retirement from the game is often cited as a contributory factor in the decline of the championship. In retirement from playing Ring became involved in team management and coaching. As
22657-471: The target of public attention for his hurling exploits, in private Ring was a shy and reserved individual. A teetotaller and non-smoker throughout his life, he was also a devout Catholic . Ring's sudden death in March 1979 and the scenes which followed at his funeral were unprecedented in Cork since the death of the martyred Lord Mayor Tomás Mac Curtain in 1920. He was honoured posthumously by being named on
22820-428: The team. Cork continued their provincial dominance in 1947. A 2–6 to 2–3 defeat of Limerick in the provincial decider gave Ring a fifth Munster medal. For the second year in succession, Cork qualified to play Kilkenny in the All-Ireland final on 7 September 1947. In what is often regarded as the greatest final of all time, Ring was held to just a single point. Mossy O'Riordan and Joe Kelly scored two goals to almost win
22983-473: The twentieth century saw Cork , Kilkenny as well as Tipperary dominate hurling with each of these counties winning more than 20 All-Ireland titles each. Wexford , Waterford , Clare , Limerick , Offaly , Antrim , Dublin , and Galway were also strong hurling counties during the twentieth century. As hurling entered the new millennium, it has remained Ireland's second most popular sport behind Gaelic football . An extended qualifier system resulted in
23146-506: The two deciders Ring's mother died. Her death had such a devastating effect on him that it seemed likely that he would miss the All-Ireland final. After much agonising and encouragement from family members, Ring rejoined the Cork team for training and was at left wing-forward for the game against Galway. After a slow start, which allowed Galway take an early lead, Cork regrouped and were 2–1 to 0–3 ahead at half-time after goals from Josie Hartnett and Ring. Galway remained close to Cork throughout
23309-473: The two drawn games and the period of extra time. In spite of an early championship exit, Ring was chosen at centre-forward on the Sunday Press Team of the Year. Ring was appointed captain of the Cork team for 1950 and there was an inevitability about the meeting of Cork and Tipperary in the Munster final. The official attendance at Fitzgerald Stadium was given as 39,000, however, up to 50,000 saw
23472-419: Was a TD , from his usual midfield berth resulted in a goal and brought his personal tally to 1–6. A point from Bernie Murphy levelled the scores at the death. The replay four weeks later was a classic. A Gerry O'Riordan goal gave Cork a 1–2 to 0–2 at the interval, however, Cork could have been further ahead but for a disallowed goal. Mossy O'Riordan sent a shot past Tipperary 'keeper Tony Reddin , however,
23635-409: Was also prevalent in the club championship during the 1990s. Galway clubs came to the fore during this decade, with Sarsfields becoming the first team to retain the All-Ireland title with back-to-back wins in 1993 and 1994. Their success was followed by Athenry who won a lone title in 1997 before claiming back-to-back championships in 2000 and 2001. Clare clubs, buoyed by the inter-county success of
23798-476: Was an unparalleled display of sportsmanship in any game, raised Ring onto their shoulders and carried him off the field. Towards the end of the year, Ring was chosen as the number one hurler of the year in the Gaelic Echo . Following defeat in the 1956 All-Ireland final, it was expected by many that Ring, who was now thirty-six years-old, would retire from inter-county hurling. No such announcement came and he
23961-626: Was by invitation and was extended to the country’s current best hurling teams. This tournament lasted for five years, however, by the 1960s there was a growing appetite for a similar competition. In 1965 the Munster Council organised the Munster Senior Club Hurling Championship . Following the success of this provincial championship, Donegal , Galway and Wexford put down a motion for the introduction of All-Ireland club championships in both codes at
24124-403: Was called back for a foul on him. Limerick missed the resulting free. Cork nicked a goal and a point to equalise. With a minute left, Mackey's effort for a winning point went wide. Seconds later, Ring picked up the sliotar in his own half and set off up field, slipped past a series of challenges and, from 40 yards out, crashed the ball to the net for the winning goal. Ring's last-minute goal secured
24287-567: Was common at the time Ring received no secondary education and left school before the age of fourteen. His first job was as an apprentice mechanic with the Williams firm in Midleton , before he later moved to Cork City where he found work as a lorry driver with Córas Iompair Éireann . In 1953 Ring became a delivery driver with Shell Oil . Ring was just twelve years old when he played in his first minor game for Cloyne. Playing in goal he received
24450-417: Was dominated by the “big three” clubs from Cork , with Blackrock , Glen Rovers and St. Finbarr’s, Togher sharing every All-Ireland title bar one between 1972 and 1979. Blackrock became the preeminent team of the championship by winning three All-Ireland titles from four final appearances during this time. Glen Rovers and St. Finbarr’s claimed two titles apiece during the same period. The second decade saw
24613-542: Was expected, however, they were dispersed and Cork left Dublin for their homecoming celebrations. At the end of the year Ring once again finished runner-up in the Gaelic Sportsman Sportsman of the Year. Ring remained as Cork captain for 1954, as he attempted to make history by becoming the first player to win eight All-Ireland medals. The Munster final saw Cork face Tipperary for the sixth consecutive season. Tipperary looked likely winners for much of
24776-410: Was formed on 15 July 1900, leading to teams being established in different neighborhoods of Buenos Aires and the surrounding farming communities. Games of hurling were played every weekend until 1914 and received frequent coverage from Argentina's Spanish language newspapers, such as La Nación . After the outbreak of World War I , it became almost impossible to obtain hurleys from Ireland. An attempt
24939-469: Was formed when U.S. soldiers returning from Iraq saw a hurling game on the television in Shannon Airport as their plane refuelled. Outside of the traditional North American GAA cities of New York, Boston, Chicago and San Francisco, clubs are springing up in other places where they consist of predominantly American-born players who bring a new dimension to the game and actively seek to promote it as
25102-533: Was included on Cork's championship fifteen again for 1957. In the Munster semi-final victory over Tipperary, he suffered a broken wrist which ruled him out of the subsequent Munster final. Cork lost that game to an up-and-coming Waterford side by 1–11 to 1–6. In 1958 Ring was named at full-forward on the Best Hurling Team of the Year in the Sunday Review , however, Cork exited the championship at
25265-470: Was made to use native Argentine mountain ash, but it proved too heavy and lacking in pliability. Although the game was revived after the end of the war, the golden age of Argentine hurling had passed. World War II finally brought the era to its close. In the aftermath of the Second World War, immigration from Ireland slowed to a trickle. In addition, native born Irish-Argentines assimilated into
25428-455: Was named Hurler of the Year at the age of thirty-eight. He played his last game for Cork in June 1963. After indicating his willingness to line out once again in 1964, Ring failed to be selected for the Cork team, a move which effectively brought his inter-county career to an end. After being chosen as a substitute on the Munster inter-provincial team in 1941, Ring was an automatic choice on
25591-431: Was named at right wing-forward and was one of the many goal-scorers in a 14-goal thriller. Cork won by 8–9 to 6–4 and he collected his first league medal. Ring retained the position of right wing-forward on Cork's subsequent championship team and made his championship debut on 2 June 1940 in a 6–3 to 2–6 Munster quarter-final defeat of Tipperary. Cork were undefeated throughout their 1940–41 league campaign and qualified for
25754-422: Was picked on the Cork minor panel for the All-Ireland final. In spite of victory, he was denied an All-Ireland medal as he was Cork's last non-playing substitute. Still eligible for the grade in 1938, Ring collected a set of All-Ireland and Munster medals as a member of the starting fifteen. An unsuccessful year with the Cork junior hurlers followed before he made his senior debut during the 1939–40 league . Over
25917-509: Was played. The Indiana University Hurling Club won all matches of the tournament, and won by four points in the championship final to be crowned the first ever U.S. National Collegiate Champions . All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Club Championship , known simply as the All-Ireland Club Championship , is an annual inter-county hurling competition organised by
26080-471: Was replicated with the Cloyne junior team that reached their first East Cork final. The Ring brothers were prominent from the start, with Willie John scoring 1–1 to help secure a 5–5 to 3–2 victory over Bride Rovers . Ring was sent off in the county championship quarter-final and was suspended for Cloyne's subsequent semi-final defeat by Brian Dillons . Cloyne retained the East Cork title in 1939 following
26243-478: Was seen as too vital a player to be left out of the starting fifteen, so instead he was moved to the forwards. Cork were fancied to retain their junior crown for a second year, however, Waterford got the better of them in their opening game. Ring made his first appearance for the Cork senior team when he was introduced as a substitute in a tournament game against Limerick in early 1939. Later that year on 22 October, he made his first competitive start when Cork played
26406-445: Was the star forward as his 2–3 was instrumental in Cork securing a 2–13 to 1–2 victory. It was a victory which set Cork apart from all their predecessors as they became the first team to win four successive All-Ireland titles . On a personal level for Ring, he became the holder of four All-Ireland winners' medals before his 24th birthday. Cork's hopes of extending their unbeaten run to five successive All-Ireland championships ended with
26569-417: Was wrongly named in some national newspapers as having hit both Doyle and Moloughney. The National Union of Journalists later issued an apology to him. After a good showing in the group stage, Cork qualified for a league final meeting with Kilkenny in 1962. Cork looked like they were in for a hefty defeat, however, a Ring goal gave Cork the lead against the run of play. Kilkenny regrouped and eventually secured
#235764