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.

[5][6] 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 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.

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.

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 had a quiet game by his standards as Glen veterans such as Jack Lynch and Johnny Quirke secured the double scores 5–7 to 3–2 victory over roll of honour leaders Blackrock.

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 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 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 the second time.

Later that year on 22 October, he made his first competitive start when Cork played 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.

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 the defeat when they qualified to meet Tipperary in the provincial final again.

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.

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.

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.

Mossy O'Riordan and Joe Kelly scored two goals to almost win the game for Cork, however, Kilkenny rallied with Terry Leahy and Jim Langton leading the charge.

Tipp's Tommy Doyle, who earlier in the year ad been coaxed out of retirement, gave an inspired display by holding Ring scoreless for the two drawn games and the period of extra time.

The start of 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.

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.

Tipperary looked likely winners for much of 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.

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.

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 the Cork net by Nicky Rackard giving Wexford a 2–14 to 2–8 victory.

[36] 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 the hands of Tipperary in the Munster semi-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.

Ring was partnered by his Glen Rovers colleague Jim Young in the half-forward line as Munster received a buy to the 1946 Railway Cup final.

A Connacht team composed of all Galway players looked to be heading for a first victory, but Munster clawed their way back to level the game with time running out.

Ring was moved to the left wing-forward position where he made a number of spectacular solo-runs, one of which resulted in a pass to Ned Daly for the equalising point just before half-time.

Ring was the star player as Connacht provided the opposition and he secured Munster's opening goal when his sideline ball slipped through goalkeeper Seánie Duggans fingers and trickled over the line.

Ring was once again included on the Munster team, however, high winds, a large number of wides and a poor level of skill contributed to a drab and disjointed game.

Seánie O'Leary, who broke his nose in the pre-match warm-up, scored the decisive goal for Cork as the game entered the last quarter, while Martin Coleman brought off a match-winning save from Christy Keogh to foil the Wexford comeback.