to win the award. Ring finished the 1959–60 league as top scorer, including 3-4 in Cork's league final defeat by Tipperary. Both sides renewed their rivalry in the subsequent Munster final. Described as the toughest game of hurling ever played, Cork enjoyed most of the possession in the first half, however, Tipperary led by a goal at the interval thanks to the accuracy of Jimmy Doyle. They stretched their lead to five points in the final quarter, however, a last-minute Cork goal left the result in doubt once again. Tipperary eventually won a gruelling contest by 4-13 to 4-11. 1961 followed a similar pattern to the year before. Ring was once again the top scorer for the 1960–61 season and, once again, Cork and Tipperary lined out against each other in the Munster final. An official attendance of 62,175 was the biggest ever recorded at a Cork-Tipperary match, or at any Irish sporting event outside of Croke Park. The real attendance may have been as high as 70,000 as the gates were thrown open halfway through the preceding minor game. Cork's preparations were undermined by the large crowd. After togging off in the Railway Hotel in Limerick city centre, they had intended to travel by cars to the venue. The volume of bodies on the Ennis Road meant that the players had to abandon their cars and physically jostle their way through the crowd to make the throw-in time. At half-time Tipperary were out of sight by 3-3 to 0-1. The game ended on a sour note when Ring and John Doyle became involved in a punch-up while Tom Moloughney was knocked to the ground, allegedly after being struck by Ring. Tipperary won the game by 3-6 to 0-7, however, Ring was wrongly named in some national newspapers as having hit both Doyle and Moloughney. The National Union of Journalists later issued an apology to him. After a good showing in the group stage, Cork qualified for a league final meeting with Kilkenny in 1962. Cork looked like they were in for a hefty defeat, however, a Ring goal gave Cork the lead against the run of play. Kilkenny regrouped and eventually secured a 1-8 to 1-6 victory in what was Ring's last appearance at Croke Park for Cork. The subsequent Munster championship saw Ring lose out to Waterford at the semi-final stage. It would be his last championship game