The Boardgame Called Rings

ciarann

I was wondering if anybody knows the rules of the boardgame in which you have 6 rubber rings and you throw them at a wooden board with 13 numbers on in.Is this game still played in North Dublin or Meath.Does anybody know the high the board should be,also the lenght of the oche,the best way to throw the rubber rings and the object of the game.All info would be helpful
cheers kavo

Nephew

You should just buy a dartboard, that game looks like its too much effort.

Thrill

Played it a few times but not often enough to know the details your looking for. Your best bet is to find a pub with a board in it and find out from whoever plays there.

Found this site with a bit more info...

http://www.mastersgames.com/rules/rings-rules.htm

Wishbone Ash

I played it occasionally back in the 1980s but I forget the rules as it was always in a haze of alcohol. It's dying out in North County Dublin but is fairly popular in mid Louth.

looksee

That game goes back to maybe the 20s or 30s at least. The rings used to be (and maybe still are) the sealing rings from kilner jars, don't know the rules, I found it frustratingly difficult and never worked up any interest.

MooseJam

I've got one of those boards in my shed, the aul one used to play it as a child

Nehpets

MooseJam wrote:

I've got one of those boards in my shed, the aul one used to play it as a child

Yeah I played it when I was younger too. Nothing that impressive about the game really!

nesf

Used to play it as a kid, it used to be played at feiseanna around where I came from. Round the clock or just a simple best score from 4 or 5 sets of throws was the usual if I recall correctly.

lostexpectation

ciarann wrote:

I was wondering if anybody knows the rules of the boardgame in which you have 6 rubber rings and you throw them at a wooden board with 13 numbers on in.Is this game still played in North Dublin or Meath.Does anybody know the high the board should be,also the lenght of the oche,the best way to throw the rubber rings and the object of the game.All info would be helpful
cheers kavo

wow major nostalgia hit

Lazarus2.0

I'm not sure of the numbering layout in your attached pic but the layout on the rules link http://www.mastersgames.com/rules/rings-rules.htm supplied is most definitely wrong ! My Da was a great rings player by all accounts (not just his own lol!) . It's in my head he was a (Dublin) county player but it may be that I'm wrong there . I know he played with Campions , Malahide Road , Dublin . There's no ring board there now - 2 dartboards and some of the best players in Dublin , which is why I keep losing . He also played in the Gravediggers (aka Kavanaghs , Prospect Square , Glasnevin) and The Hideout , Portland Place - hidden in the estate at the back of Rat & Parrot by the canal at Dorset St , Dublin (try finding that place when you're a bit merry ... jeez !!!) . I dont know if the last 2 still have rings boards .

I dont know the distance of the 'oche' or the correct height of the board but I do remember from watching my Da playing league matches that the standard league format was 'up and down twice' i.e. 1 to 13 and back again twice . If you hung all six rings in your throw you got to throw again . Obviously this could be adapted for us mere mortals throwing for fun to 'hang the last ring' . I do also very vaguely remember a numerical game similar to darts but cant remember if it was 301 or 201 or what ! I think that it was specifically 2 or 3 hundred plus 1 in that you had to hang a 1 to finish the game in the same way you need to finish on a double in darts . I am open to correction on this as it is a vague memory and may just be a format me and my brothers devised playing as kids ( my Da had a rings board at home) . I also suspect it may have been used as a tie-break in league matches with all (6?) players taking throws at 501 .

The technique ... ideally you should hold the rings flat in an open hand . They need to hit the board flat to optimise the chances of sitting on the peg so if they start out flat they'll stay that way . You should hold the ring square to the board and basically shove it so it travels at a low arc - pretty much a straight line from your shoulder to the hook you are aiming for . That's the theory ... some players will fold the ring into their palm (my Da and I , for example!) and I've seen some damned good players throwing underarm !

Last but not least I'll add that darters are great sportsmen , in my experience , but nothing compares to the sportsmanship I remember from playing and watching the rings with the oul'fella .

admiralofthefleet

Wishbone Ash wrote:

It's dying out in North County Dublin but is fairly popular in mid Louth.

its still played in the watermill in raheny village. saw some old dudes playing it there a while ago

Skittlebrau

nessyguin wrote:

The technique ... ideally you should hold the rings flat in an open hand . They need to hit the board flat to optimise the chances of sitting on the peg so if they start out flat they'll stay that way . You should hold the ring square to the board and basically shove it so it travels at a low arc - pretty much a straight line from your shoulder to the hook you are aiming for . That's the theory ... some players will fold the ring into their palm (my Da and I , for example!) and I've seen some damned good players throwing underarm !

Played it over here in Oz in a country pub round Christmas time. They went for a darts type game. Down from 101 but then shortened it to 51 to make the games go quicker.

The best player (by a mile) used a similar technique to the one described above. He held the ring between his thumb and index and middle fingers and squashed it flat. Then stood straight on and just kind of opened his hand and flicked it in the direction of the board. It was actually really impressive. I don't think he missed one all night.

Great fun though. Especially when playing for money.

Tar.Aldarion

I used to play, all we did was throw to see who got the best score, it's rather fun.

Duggy747

Ha ha!!! *nostalgia overload* Christ, I completely forgot about this game! Used to play all the time when I was a nipper, though I was quite cack!

randomly

I was wondering does anybody know where u can buy the rings for the game? my da had a set for the last 30years that he loved and 1 has gone missing, would like to be able to buy him a new set or even a used set.