An independent politician who was formerly a member of Fianna Fáil, he was first elected councillor for the Dublin North Inner City local electoral area (where he is from) in 2009, and was re-elected in 2014, 2019 and 2024.

He holds an honours degree in Accounting and Finance from DCU, is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, a Licentiate of the Institute of Bankers and also holds a diploma in financial law from University College Dublin.

He left Bankgesellschaft in 2001 and has been involved in bringing fledgeling prospecting companies to the London Stock Market up to his election as Lord Mayor of Dublin in 2018.

[citation needed] Ring is a grandnephew of Liam Ó Rinn, who wrote the Irish-language version of "The Soldiers' Song", Ireland's national anthem.

[5] He himself has a keen interest in Irish History, particularly the 1916 period when his grandfather and four brothers fought as part of the GPO Garrison[6] in Easter Week 1916.