Christy Ring and Glen Rovers: Buying into the Blackpool spirit

After ‘straying’ into Blackpool as a complete stranger, Christy Ring spent 27 memorable years in the famed green, black, and gold of the Glen — his appetite for improvement and success never sated, writes Diarmuid O’Donovan

Christy Ring in full flow for Glen Rovers during a Cork SHC match against UCC at the Athletic Grounds in Cork in 1955. Picture: Irish Examiner Archive/Ref 249h

When 20-year-old Christy Ring moved to Cork in search of employment in 1941, he had three decisions to make: to find accommodation, to find a job, and to find a hurling club.

The first two took care of themselves — the hard decision for a man who was both captivated and fascinated by the game of hurling, must have taken some considerable thought on his behalf.