The Christy Ring Cup (Irish: Corn Chriostóir Uí Rinn)[1] is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association.

The competition is named in honour of Christy Ring, a legendary player from Cork.

The Christy Ring Cup, which was introduced in 2005, replaced the All-Ireland B Hurling Championship (1974-2004).

Originally introduced as a second-tier competition, it is currently the third tier overall in the inter-county hurling championship system.

At present (2021), Wicklow holds the longest tenure in the Christy Ring Cup.

The committee was composed of chairman Pat Dunny (Kildare), Liam Griffin (Wexford), P. J. O'Grady (Limerick), Ger Loughnane (Clare), Cyril Farrell (Galway), Jimmy O'Reilly (Down), Willie Ring (Cork), Pat Daly (GAA Games Development Officer) and Nicky English (Tipperary).

The HDC also suggested that these games would be played as curtain raisers to All-Ireland quarter-finals and semi-finals.

The winners of the final (with the exception of Down in 2013, are promoted to the Liam MacCarthy Cup for the following year.

2018 saw the reintroduction of a group phase format to all tiers of the hurling Championship structure.

During the course of a season (from May to June) each team plays the others once (a single round-robin system) for a total of five games.

The top two teams in the group contest the Christy Ring Cup final.

At the end of the championship, the winning team is promoted to the Joe McDonagh Cup for the following season.

The Christy Ring Cup is held by the winning team until the following year's final.

The winning captain accepts the cup on behalf of his team before giving a short speech.

Individual members of the winning team then have an opportunity to come to the rostrum to lift the cup.

He was an eight time All-Ireland medal winner with Cork whose inter county career spanned twenty-four years from 1939 to 1963.