Sculpture of Christy Ring goes on display in Cloyne the hometown of the Cork hurling hero.
A statue of one of Ireland's greatest ever hurlers Christy Ring (1920-1979) is unveiled in Cloyne. A total of £65,000 was donated by GAA supporters and Christy Ring fans towards the memorial. £20,000 of the money raised went to fund the Christy Ring Hurling School.
Christy Ring was known locally as the Rock of Cloyne. Thousands of supporters gathered in the town for the unveiling of the £35,000 nine-foot bronze statue in honour of the late hurler. The sculpture was unveiled by former Taoiseach Jack Lynch, who was one of Christy Ring's most famous colleagues on the field. In his speech, he made a plea for the development of hurling in the GAA centenary year. The statue stands at the gates to the pitch where Christy learnt his craft.
Among the dignitaries present at the unveiling were Minister of State for Agriculture Paddy Hegarty and the Lord Mayor of Cork, Ald Hugh Coveney. Christy Ring's widow, Rita, was also present at the ceremony.
The statue was created by sculptor Yann Goulet, while Michael Sheedy created the lettering on the base using Kilkenny limestone.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 1 May 1983. The reporter is Tom MacSweeney.
